DEVOTION: To Whose Glory? ~ Yvonne Ortega

John 15:8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Do you sometimes feel like you’re in a rat race? I do.

Years ago, drivers had bumper stickers on their cars that said such things as, “The one who dies with the most fabric wins” and “The one who dies with the most toys wins.”

Recently I’ve seen bumper stickers that say, “My child is an honor student at _______ School” and “My kid can beat up your honor student.”

Some people brag about how many friends they have on Facebook and how many follow them on Twitter.

And yet, if we look at what Jesus said, his message provides a contrast to the way of the world. When we bear fruit, we show ourselves to be his disciples, and that is to our heavenly Father’s glory.

Maybe we won’t feel stressed or pushed if we concentrate on being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. He “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).

Perhaps if we shift our focus from our own glory to God’s glory, we can slow down, relax, and “remain in [Jesus].” Jesus promised us in John 15:5, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.”

Whether we use the word, “remain” or “live,” or “abide,” the result will be the same: we will walk as Jesus did. He came to do his Father’s will (Matthew 26:39). If we will live to do the will of our heavenly Father, we will “bear much fruit.” And our fruit will be to the Father’s glory.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me be a disciple of Jesus. Amen.

Application: How will you bear fruit this week to God’s glory?

Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega August 21, 2012 

Yvonne Ortega 

is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner, Clinically Certified Domestic Violence Counselor, an international bilingual speaker, Stonecroft Ministries Regional Speaker Trainer of Virginia, and eleven-year breast cancer survivor. She is the author of Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer (Revell) and a contributing author to The Embrace of a Father (Bethany House) and Transformed (Wine Press). She has also been published in several magazines online and hard copy. Yvonne hosted a blogtalkradio program on breast cancer, addiction, domestic violence, and other types of trauma. Archives are available. Visit her website.