Honoring God's Name

What is the undisputed, unqualified, undeniable purpose of your life?  Too profound?  How about this…what will the goal of your day be?  Are you just trying to get to the next weekend?  Are you desiring to get that next product, promotion, or praise?  Are you trying to raise good kids or be a good spouse?  Are you trying to be the best bank manager, teacher, police officer, sales rep, or whatever that you can be?  What is the real purpose of your day?  Take a minute to be honest with yourself…
Now, can I suggest something to you?
What if, as a baptized child of God, the real goal of your day was to glorify the name of your Father?  What if this entire day was about living out your identity as a child of the Father?  How would your day be different if that was how you approached today?
In John 12 (my assigned devotional reading for today), Jesus is experiencing a moment of inner conflict.  He is praying.  Here is what He prays…
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”
Interesting.  Should Jesus pray to His Father to save Him?  Is that the ultimate goal?  Safety?  Rescue?  Security?  No.  Instead, Jesus prays that the Father would be glorified.  That the divine name would receive the honor that it deserves.  That is the purpose of Jesus’ coming.  That is the purpose of the precise moment He faced, as well as His entire life.  That God’s name would be glorified/honored/acknowledged.
So what about us?  This is the question I am reflecting on this morning as I sit in Starbucks.  What is the goal of my life?  What is the goal of my today?  What is the goal of my right now?  As we enter the season of Lent, am I focused on the right things in my life?  What would my life look like (how would THIS day be different) if I tried to live with the primary goal of honoring the name of the Father?
This is what I am thinking of today.  Not in generalities, but trying to think of specific things that I might do today to honor God’s name.  This is my goal today.  I invite you to join me…