“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,

do everything for the glory of God.

Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or 

the church of God,

just as I try to please everyone in every way,

not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,

that they may be saved.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

Do everything for the glory of God. It’s all too easy to let other motivations enter our actions. We may just want to get by, to make it with the least amount of effort. At other times, we may be fueled by a deep sense of pride or even inadequacy that drives us to give it our all to satisfy our needs, desires, or reputation. We all want to be known on a real and personal level, but that desire can be perverted in a thirst for fame or notoriety. Even as we struggle against it, we can let it become all about us, placing ourselves in the center of importance, and allow selfishness to guide our actions, decisions, and relationships. While competition can be a tool to develop our talents and ability to work within a team, it may also foster a sense of winning at any cost, even to injury of or contempt for our opponents. It can sometimes seem that we must pull others down to get ahead. In the realms of academics, business, politics, and interpersonal relationships, these motivations can create a false sense of self and of others. Even in (sometimes especially in) religion, these motivations create a false sense of God, the world, and ourselves. 

So what is the truth? St. Irenaeus, a great theologian of the second century, said, “The glory of God is a human being fully alive!” First is the gift of life. Every human life, from conception to death, is valuable. Each person, made in the image of God, deserves dignity, respect, freedom, and justice. It is as true for the other as it is for ourselves. With this view of reality, we look into the eyes of every other person, no matter who they are, with joy for the amazing gift of life and the determination to create a world that honors that gift. However stunted, whatever mistakes have been made, wherever we see squandered potential, it points to the fact that we were made for more and that the mystery of the human person soars above all the limitations we create or that are imposed. Second is the gift of love. God is love and the divine love embodies all goodness, truth, and beauty. God’s love for us not only defines our being, but calls us to the very best of who we were made to be. Love is more powerful than death and vaster than the whole universe. It is a love that embraces the other and all of creation with tenderness, compassion, and hope. Love is both the end that we strive toward and the means to reach that end. To live fully alive means to live for and through love. It elevates the dignity of life with purpose. It is worth giving our all. 

These views of reality, our motivations for acting, clash. Within each of our hearts, there is a divide. Do we give in to our false sense of who we are or do we surrender to the deep truth of God’s eternal love? On the road to Damascus, Paul encountered Jesus Christ, raised from the dead. That encounter transformed his life, not seeking his “own benefit but that of the many.” As a “slave of Christ Jesus,” Paul found the freedom to live a life for others. Like Jesus himself, it was a life given in love. As we approach Lent, may it be a time for each of us to discover or rediscover the great mystery of human life and love found in God, encountered in Jesus. Whatever you do this Lent, do it for the glory of God.