Rise and Shine! (part one)

I don't usually like series messages, but in this case it'll be nice, as it would be one long post that would be boring and hard to read!


How much we learn at Sunday School that as we get older we toss to the side, or throw it in a box.


There's a children's song called: Rise and Shine, and Give God Your Glory.


The first line of this song is: Rise and Shine, and Give God your glory, glory.

If that wasn't enough, that also is the second line of the song. And if that wasn't still enough, that's the 3rd line of the song!


Three times we have children singing that they need to 1) Rise and Shine! and 2) Give God their Glory, Glory!


When's the last time you Rose and Shone? I don't think I did today, if I am honest. I think I got up, and shuffled to the coffee maker first.


As for giving God my Glory? What's that?


Aren't we supposed to give him our "obedience" and "submit" to him?


Perhaps our problem is we don't know what our glory is. Do you? Or are you confused at the lyrics too? Give God MY glory? I thought I'm supposed to give HIM glory...


Ah, but there it is: we give God Glory, by shining and giving him OUR GLORY.


What is our glory?


It's your desires (the healthy ones), it's your gifts (your talents), it's your heart...


How do you give those to God? By using them, by following them, by opening them. We all have gifts from God.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

These gifts come in a variety of ways through our talents and interests. Yes, those dreams we have for ourselves are from God. We are to pursue those dreams. To do so, gives God our glory.


Now, that isn't to say by going after our dreams we are going to reap rewards, riches, and fame...we very well might not.

But somewhere down the line we, as Christians, have decided that going after our dreams is somehow wrong...That our dreams, wishes, hopes couldn't possibly be anything God would want me to strive for...No God has a plan that I must "submit" to.

Who do you think gave you those dreams?

The secular world has no problems going after their dreams (look at Hollywood) why should we? Because we are Christians? Christians can't have dreams, want to succeed, have a goal?

Being "humble" or "mild" or whatever is NOT the same as putting aside your dream. Being humble means you do not think yourself better than anyone. Being humble means if you are able, put others first. It does NOT mean that we toss aside our ambitions, our desires, our dreams, to be pious, Bible reading, church going, "nice" religious robots.

Submitting, doesn't mean that we shove our dreams away and wait for what God "really" wants us to do...

That is NOT abundant life. That is NOT the plan God has for us.

That dream IS God's plan, or at least a large part of it.

Now, please, do not think that I am saying if we all follow our dreams we will all be rich and famous. Most of us won't. But that's not the point. The point is, our dream, our aspirations are an invitation from God...in a word: a path.

Our path.

Our own, special path designed just for us...my path is not the same as yours, your path is not the same as mine. Some similarities might exist, but to compare the two paths is futile and worthless.

It is to follow God down this path is truly submitting.

I do believe that if we all followed our dreams "submit" to walking with God along our path, we will experience a life we have never known.

A life that we would deem worth living...a life that not only gives God our glory, but gives Him glory as well.