Which Comes First… Faith or Glory? Hint: It May NOT Be What You Think!

Sometimes I work out a message from God in my writing. I wanted to invite you to join me today…

The answer seemed obvious…faith, of course. If you have faith, especially through the storms, you’ll be rewarded, right?! That’s what I reasoned out when God challenged me with that question earlier this week. But, as soon as the answer settled into my thoughts, something about it just didn’t sit right.

I’d like to set the scene for you on how this conversation with my Heavenly Father began. A while back, I wrote the following:

Ever feel like your circumstances do not look like His promises? Like your storm is swirling, maybe you’ve even reached the eye, and as it threatens to overtake you, you keep repeating the mantra, “God is good,” but inside you feel the panic begin to rise. A familiar internal struggle begins… “wait, I know God is good. But this storm…” You soon find yourself tossed about the boat, hit by waves of sadness, confusion, frustration, and even anger. If this is part of God’s promise, it doesn’t look like you expected it to look. It doesn’t feel like you expected it to feel. And you’re trying so hard to just hold on and keep the faith. You strain your eyes to find Jesus through the sheets of rain in front of you, but your spirit is sinking deeper with each slam of your body against the rails. You’re just about ready to accept defeat. Maybe the promises that you heard from your Heavenly Father have been reversed. You begin to rationalize it… “maybe I fell short in doing my part. Maybe I just wasn’t enough.” It’s easy to accept that explanation because it’s familiar. Always falling short. Always failing… You release a cry from the deepest part of your soul, “Jesus… please help me!” .. the only words that you manage to piece together in between the tears.

And then He whispered… “Which comes first… faith or glory?”

…

In working through my answer, I began to process the word “glory” through my life experience filter…

• Study for the grade… achieve the ‘A”… Glory.

• Practice every day… make the winning shot… Glory.

• Be the perfect spouse and parent… have the perfect family… Glory.

• Work harder. Do more. Go beyond… Glory.

….

• Have enough faith…. Glory.

….

As much as I should know the difference between religion and relationship, sometimes when I’m struggling in a storm, I still manage to confuse the two, and His nudge was a gentle reminder that I am straining and focusing on the wrong thing. Let me explain:

Glory, by a worldly definition, is the ultimate destination, most often achieved by hard work and dedication to a specific desired result. It’s the end-goal. It’s the mark of success. It’s the finish line. It’s the gold medal. It’s the Lombardi trophy. It’s the big house and the big career.

Glory, by a religious definition, is the touch and favor of God in your life that you are able to earn through faith, dedication, and service. The harder you work, and the more faith you have, the more favor and love God gives to you. (Don’t worry if this doesn’t sit right with your spirit… it shouldn’t… keep reading and I’ll explain.)

Glory, by a relationship definition, is sitting in the very real presence of God, an almost tangible experience and connection. It’s an exposure to God, His works, His goodness, and His love that is undeniably life-changing. It’s the Holy Spirit entering your space. It’s the supernatural divine manifestation of our Heavenly Father. It’s the moments when His voice, His touch, and His presence become a permanent footprint on your life because you realize that there is no love like His. And it’s completely indescribable, as you can tell by my stumbling through a definition that does it anywhere close to justice. It is not a result of something we work to earn. It is given. Freely. And it is the purest definition of love.

In reflecting on that last definition, I am reminded of so many experiences that I have had with my Heavenly Father over the last year. Moments where He flooded my vehicle with His presence, just because. Moments where His voice calmed every fear that filled my heart. Moments where He whispered, “watch for my love notes today” and I was left in complete tears by the very tangible evidence of His heart. In each of those moments, fear, anxiety, doubt, confusion, and anger… they shrank away. Why? Because when I was in His presence, I knew without a doubt that if I gave it all over, He would hold me, guide me, and carry me. His presence is a blanket that wraps around your heart and your spirit can sense and feel His very real promises … “you are safe. Rest in me. I love you.” There’s no experience like it. Once you have been drowned in it, everything in you craves more of Him. It’s a relationship that words fail to explain. He is so incredibly real and His presence heals and lifts your broken heart.

So, I am once again looped back to His question… Which comes first.. Faith or glory?… and I suddenly realize that He is reminding me that if I rest in His glory, chase my relationship with Him, seek Him, spend time with Him, and delight in my moments with Him, get this… the faith will come naturally.

His presence is the paradigm shift. Faith is a natural occurrence from experiencing His love and His goodness. It’s not something that I have to force myself to do so that I “faith it into fruition” and earn His love and favor. No, the more I delight in Him, the trust and surrender become a natural part of who I am. His presence is a tangible reminder and promise that I am safe in His hands.

So, the next time I find myself straining to “keep the faith,” I am reminded to pause for a moment and just ask Jesus to fill my space with His presence. He knows our storm. He knows we are doing our best and He knows our fears. And He is calling us to rest and just feel Him. Let Him pour over you. Your storm may not calm, but you will find peace and reassurance in Him. He will calm your heart. He will hold you. And in His presence, your faith will be renewed. We serve a loving, mighty, and good Father. Blessings today, Friends!