2024

Glory Days

Theme Verse

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” - Psalm 115:1

Glory Days … a phrase that evokes a wide range of thoughts and feelings. As adults, feelings of nostalgia about years past when we were younger, a few pounds lighter and unencumbered by the cares of the “real” world. A time when our minds were not consumed with mortgages, work stability or the heavy responsibility of parenting. Thoughts of, “if I could just go back” or “those were the days” that often leave us disappointed and discouraged. For kids, the idea of “Glory Days” will often fill their heads with thoughts of sports icons, celebrities, money, fame and all that comes with it. They are constantly being bombarded with images that only serve to remind them of what they don’t have and will likely never attain. “Maybe if I work hard enough, I’ll be able to play like him” … “If I can just look like her, then maybe they’ll like and follow me” … Always chasing significance and acceptance through the avenue of MORE. But the only thing they are left with is more fear and anxiety. The problem is not what has been missed in the past or what is just beyond our grasp in the future. The key to living and experiencing our Glory Days is by shifting our perspective of what true Glory is where it can be found. The Bible says that glory is even more exclusive than we think — only God himself is glorious. Compared to God, humanity is a mist of vapor and a fleeting breath. We are reminded that “all fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). And yet, while God alone is the object of our worship and praise, from the very beginning of the world, God has made mankind to reflect his glory. As Psalm 8:4-5 puts it, "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You have crowned him with glory and honor." In the Hebrew, "glory" implies weightiness or significance. Essentially, God has bestowed upon us a unique and profound importance, making us reflections of His divine glory. Our Glory Days are not confined to the past when we were younger, more athletic and full of optimism. In the same way, our Glory Days are not off in the distant future never to be realized. For those of us who have experienced the glory of God through the person of Jesus Christ and the hope that he brings ... our Glory Days are to be lived NOW and FOREVER. NOW, as we look to live our current life aligned with Jesus' Kingdom that he brought when he walked the earth. A way of life marked by forgiveness, peace, joy and love. Living your Glory Days NOW is to walk with Jesus and seek to live and love as He does and experience all the freedom that comes only through a relationship with Him.