The Invite

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

I was at a wedding a couple of years back. It was two kids – I say “kids” even though in actuality they are in their mid-twenties – who attended my youth group back in Salem, Oregon. I was also their sophomore Bible teacher. It was several months ago that I received their invitation. I was flattered, and excited for the day when I could watch these two amazing kids tie the knot.

At the ceremony, one of my good friends officiated (he was the pastor saying all the stuff up front). The subject of the entire service was Jesus Christ. You see, Ethan and Cynthia love Jesus, and have accepted Him as their personal Lord and Savior. But, beyond that, they have invited Him into their relationship with each other. Even though it was their wedding, Jesus had to be lifted up and glorified – and He was.

For those of us who have taken the plunge and accepted Jesus into our lives through His invitation to unite with Him, we can’t forget that we too need to issue an invitation to Him. It’s not enough that we just call Him Lord and Savior, we must act upon it. This is what the apostle Paul meant when he stated in our verse today, “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” In other words, we must invite God into our everyday life.

Of course, the simple answer is “I did,” or “I have.” But Paul’s direction goes deeper than that. He is telling us that in every part of our lives, we must invite God to be a part of it, to be Lord of it. That means we must give Him an invite into our romantic relationships (as Ethan and Cynthia have); into our careers; into our friendships; into our finances; into our families; into our church (it’s sad that this even needs to be stated); into our entertainment choices; into our hobbies; into every little piece of our lives. Because, if He’s not there, He can not be glorified as Paul describes.

If we call Jesus Lord, or Savior, then our lives are to be lived as an act of worship to Him. And, if we are truly worshiping Him, we must glorify Him no matter where we are, or what we’re doing. If we call ourselves “Christian,” then we must make sure that Christ is with us. So, today, and every day, invite Jesus into your activities. Truly worship Him. Glorify Him.