"Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." This is the opening phrase of the Westminster Catechism, written by the Church of Scotland in the 17th century. I'd like to mull over today how to put this statement into practice in our daily faith walk.
I don't think this statement is talking about how we land eventually in heaven, though that is part of the thought. The idea is that our main goal (chief end) is to glorify and enjoy God forever. When I read forever, I realize forever starts now, not in the afterlife.
The goal, then, is to glorify and enjoy God on a daily basis. That doesn't mean we have to quit our jobs and do nothing else. This phrase identifies our main goal, not our only goal. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that our Father knows the things we need to survive, so we're not mandated to live a life absent anything else.
Instead, we're challenged to find ways to glorify and enjoy God, right where we are, every day.
I think of glorifying as giving to God and enjoying as receiving from God. When we give to God, in whatever way that is, we do it in a way to glorify God. When we realize how we're receiving from God, we can recognize that as a way to enjoy God. Psalm 37:3-4 describes this combination of doing good and enjoying God:
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
To glorify God, Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:16, NIV), "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." We don't undertake good deeds to glorify ourselves; in fact, Jesus cautions a chapter later (Matthew 6:1, NIV), "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
To enjoy God includes enjoying creation and taking delight in small and large blessings that come your way. But at its root, enjoyment comes from a lasting connection with God that is available here and now. Jesus said in John 15:4-5 (NIV):
"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
I hope this gives you ideas for glorifying and enjoying God today, even right now. Please comment with your thoughts on how to glorify and enjoy God daily.
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