You apply glue to a material. You do not apply a material to glue. The material that is being bonded together is what is important, not the glue. A good example of this is in woodworking. When glue is used to bond wood together, glue is applied liberally so as to get a good and complete bond. Any extra is wiped away and thrown away so as not to detract from the finished surface. The finished product is beautiful when the glue is applied with care and the glue is not seen.
This same concept of applying glue has spiritual applications. As born again believers, we are to apply ourselves, the glue, to the Kingdom of God, the material. Thus, when we come to church, when we pray, when we read, study, and meditate on God’s word, we are not doing so for our personal glory. Rather, we are doing so for God’s glory.
Let’s focus on one of these spiritual activities, church worship. We do not go to church for worship in order to apply God’s glory to ourselves (e.g. make ourselves a better person, a better parent, a better friend, a better citizen, etc.). These are all good results, but not our focus. Instead, the goal of our church worship is to apply ourselves to the glory of God and His Kingdom. Many people get this backwards and they expect some sort of personal reward from worship. How many times have you heard someone talk about their desire to receive a “blessing” by going to church? How many people do you know who avoid church because it fails their personal expectations? How many churches entice crowds by pumping them up with “seeker sensitive” messages about how you can have “your best life now?” These are all misapplications of God’s word! When we gather for worship, our desire should be to empty our hearts of ourselves so that they can be applied to the glory of Jesus and His Kingdom.
Like glue, we must apply ourselves liberally to the Kingdom of God in church and in every other form of our worship. And when we are done, and lest we get set in our ways, we must let God wipe away any conspicuous evidence of ourselves from our ministry and our life. God’s finished product, His Kingdom, is a beautiful sight for the world to see when we apply ourselves and remain unseen.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” Philippians 3:8-9