God wanted his people throughout the world to know the glorious riches of this mystery—which is Christ living in you, giving you the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (GW)
Religious Christianity strips away the glory of what God wants to do in believers’ lives. It teaches people that they need to obey certain rules, follow specific dress codes or behave in particular ways to please God.
Let’s talk about this for a minute. How does someone bring glory to God? It happens when they rise up and pursue His purposes for their life.
God wants to see the gifts and abilities He has placed within you used to their fullest potential. That is what brings glory to God—not all the religious stuff that keeps people trapped and restrains them from living out the dreams He’s placed in their hearts.
When God puts something inside of you, it’s there to serve a purpose. Take a look at how God’s people in the Bible effected change and brought Him glory. As a teenager, David defeated an enemy warrior and inspired the Israelite army to place their confidence in God. Paul’s fierce determination helped him spread the Gospel to the majority of the ancient world.
If you want to glorify God, today’s verse says to understand the mystery of Christ in you as a believer. That means moving past “I’m just a dirty sinner, barely saved by grace” to “Jesus is within me, empowering me to exalt Him as I live out His plans for me.”
You see, the more you strip away religion, the more you discover the exciting life found in true Christianity. And that realization ignites your faith and ability to live for God, which brings Him glory!