In John 7:18, Jesus states, “The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”

So Jesus identifies himself as one who’s seeking the glory of God. That’s his passion, his purpose, and the grand ambition he has for his life—quietly tucked away in John 7:18. Jesus was consumed with a passion to see God glorified.

And here’s the thing: the more you become captivated by God’s beauty, supremacy, and love, the more joy you’ll experience as you live for his glory.

Think about a marriage that’s everything God has designed it to be. When one spouse’s birthday rolls around, the other spouse takes joy in helping them feel special on that day. They delight in doing various things to serve them on their birthday, celebrate their life, let them know how loved and appreciated they are.

It’s not like doing all those things is drudgery or a chore they’d rather not do. If you love your spouse, it’s your joy to serve them on their birthday and hopefully throughout the rest of the year as well.

In the same way, when you’re consumed with love for God and gratitude toward God for everything he’s done for you, living for his glory brings you incredible joy.

After all, this is the God who saw your sinful, wretched condition and had mercy on you.

This is the God who sent his own Son Jesus to become a human being and die on the cross to take the penalty for your sins. He bore the judgment you and I deserved to bear as he bled and died.

This is the God who reached out to you, even when you had no regard for him, and changed your heart so that you were able to receive the gospel and repent of your sins and trust in Christ.

This is the God who continues to love you in spite of all your failures and shortcomings as a Christian and continues to sanctify you so that you become more and more like him.

And this is the God who has promised one day to let you behold his heavenly splendor—and not just for a moment, but for all eternity.

What a joy and privilege it is to live for his glory!