The Puritan prayer, titled “Year’s End,” ends with the words, “Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial, as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.” (“Meet” means prepared and appropriate for.)
Before addressing the meaning of God being glorified in us, let us first look at.
God’s Foremost Goal
According to theologians, what is God’s first and foremost goal? I’ve chosen 4.
R. C. Sproul
R. C. Sproul would likely answer that God’s first and foremost goal and desire is His own glory. Sproul frequently emphasized that God’s ultimate purpose in creation, redemption, and all things is to display His glory and make Himself known. He rooted this view in Scripture, citing passages like Isaiah 43:7 (”…whom I created for my glory”) and Romans 11:36 (“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.”).
Augustine
For Augustine, God’s primary goal would also center on His own glory and the ordering of all things toward Himself as the highest good. Augustine argued in works like The Confessions and The City of God that God’s desire is to be glorified through the love and worship of His creation. Augustine famously stated, “You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You,” emphasizing that God is the source and end of all desire.
Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards would affirm that God’s ultimate goal is His own glory in the display of His excellencies. In The End for Which God Created the World, Edwards argued that God’s glory is fully expressed in the happiness and joy of His creatures in Him. He saw God’s purpose as the harmonious union of God’s self-glorification and the joy of His people, with these two aims being inseparably linked.
John Piper
John Piper, heavily influenced by Edwards, would say that God’s chief end is to glorify Himself by being most satisfied in Himself. Piper often phrases this as “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” This view emphasizes that God’s goal is to magnify His worth and beauty by inviting humanity into a joyful relationship with Him, where His glory and our joy converge.
Each of these theologians, though varied in expression, focuses on God’s glory as His ultimate goal, with nuanced emphases on how that glory is revealed and experienced.
Now we can move to the main question:
God Being Glorified in Us
The phrases “God is most glorified in us” and “Only glorify thyself in me” express a profound theological idea: that God’s glory is not just something external to us but can be revealed and magnified through our lives. Let’s unpack these ideas.
What Does It Mean for God to Be Glorified in Us?
To glorify God means to display or reflect His greatness, worth, and beauty. When we say “God is glorified in us,” it implies that:
1. Our Lives Reflect His Character
God’s glory is revealed when His attributes—love, holiness, wisdom, and power—are reflected in our actions, attitudes, and decisions. For instance, when we love sacrificially, forgive generously, or serve humbly, others see a glimpse of God’s character in us (Matthew 5:16).
2. Our Joy in God Shows His Worth
John Piper emphasizes that when we are deeply satisfied in God—when we treasure Him above all else—we demonstrate to the world that He is supremely valuable. This satisfaction glorifies God because it communicates that He is not just a means to an end but the ultimate end itself (Psalm 73:25-26).
3. Our Dependence on God Displays His Sufficiency
When we rely on God in trials, trust Him for provision, and seek Him in prayer, we acknowledge that He is our source of strength and sustenance. This dependence magnifies His power and faithfulness.
4. Our Transformation Testifies to His Work
As God changes us through the work of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18), we become living testimonies of His grace and glory. Our transformation points others to the power of God’s redeeming love.
What Does “Only Glorify Thyself in Me” Mean?
This phrase from the Puritan prayer expresses a heartfelt desire for one’s entire life to be used for God’s glory. It conveys:
1. Submission to God’s Will
The prayer acknowledges that our purpose is not self-centered but God-centered. To glorify God in us means yielding to His plans, trusting that His ways are higher and better than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9).
2. A Request for God’s Work in Us
It’s a plea for God to work in and through us so that His glory is evident. This could include granting us grace to live righteously, strength to endure trials, and love to serve others.
3. A Desire for Purity of Motive
The prayer also reflects a longing for pure motives—that all we do, whether in worship, work, or relationships, is done for God’s honor and not for personal gain or recognition (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The Convergence of God’s Glory and Our Joy
Both Piper’s theology and the Puritan prayer highlight the beautiful truth that God’s glory and our joy are not at odds but are deeply intertwined. When we find our greatest delight in God, we naturally glorify Him because our satisfaction in Him declares to the world that He is our highest good. Similarly, when God is glorified in us, we experience the joy of living according to our created purpose.
In essence, these ideas challenge us to live in such a way that every aspect of our being—our desires, actions, and affections—points others to the greatness and goodness of God.
In Addition
Here is a devotional, titled, “The Glory of God through Man.” The devotional ends with a Coram Deo thought. R. C. Sproul emphasized that we are to love Coram Deo. This closely related to the idea of God’s glory being in us.
