Untangling Glory: How We Give God What He Already Has

On what it means to "give God glory"

The Bible is filled with examples and exhortations to give God glory. But what do we mean by give? Since God doesn’t need it, what are we doing?

We see the Psalms telling us to “ascribe” glory to God.

Psalm 96:7–9

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

Ascribe means “to give.” The NLT translated “ascribe” as “recognize” and “give” and then as “honor” in Psalm 29:1. That helps us see what is happening here, especially with the words “due” in verse 8 and “worship” in verse 9.

God is deserving of glory from us. We aren’t adding to his glory—the public power, grandness, holiness, majesty, the undisputed and unrivaled awesomeness of God—when we give God glory. His glory is radiating from eternity past. And, we give him glory because of his glory. We live for his glory, his na…