I do a lot of work on my laptop computer.

And something that I noticed very early on after I got it is this: the heat coming out of the bottom of the computer can sure warm you up in a hurry.

In fact, it doesn't take long for that laptop to heat your lap up to the point of being downright hot!

So, I decided I would buy one of those "lap desks."

A lap desk simply has a hard, flat surface on top and a cushion attached to the bottom. Their sales literature states that they are perfect for laptop computers and will absorb the heat from the laptop so my legs don't have to!

So, I started looking for them.

Now, I'm a bit picky, so just any ol' lap desks wouldn't do. I wanted a special one that I saw a long time ago. It had a nice wooden top (instead of plastic) with a genuine leather cushion (instead of vinyl) attached to the bottom.

I searched for a long time to find it, but finally was able to located one.

I paid for it and immediately put it to use.

Now, let me tell you this: that lap desks does all kinds of really good things. It gives me a nice, steady surface to place my computer on, which makes it easier to type. It has an allotted space to place my ink pen or pencil. This nifty thing allows my computer's fan system to operate without putting extra strain on it.

It does a lot of good things.

But, the one thing it DOESN"T DO is keep my legs from getting hot!

You see, for whatever reason, the WOODEN top and the LEATHER cushion pass the heat from the laptop right on through to my lap. In fact, I'm convinced that they INCREASE the heat before zapping me with it!

The point I want to make is this: the lap desk that I bought does a lot of things, most of them really good, but it doesn't do the one thing that I bought it to do.

It doesn't fulfill its intended purpose.

I like it. And I'm happy that it offers a lot of great benefits. But, what I'd really like is for it to do what I got it to do.

And it doesn't do what it was meant to do.

You know, it reminds me that God made us for a purpose. And that purpose is to GLORIFY HIM.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

Our purpose is to bring glory to God. It's that simple.

The question is: are we doing that?

You see, we can do all kinds of things. We can give money. We can help the needy. We can encourage the downtrodden. We can rack up good deed after good deed, good works stacked to the heavens and back.

But if we do them for OUR glory and not GOD'S GLORY, then we have not fulfilled our purpose.

Our purpose is not to take credit for our victories, but rather to give credit to Christ for them. Our purpose is not to exalt ourselves with our successes, but to exalt our Savior. Our purpose is not to complain and whine and gripe about the things we don't like, but rather to praise and uplift and honor the name of Jesus. Our purpose isn't to do anything for our own glory, but to do all to the glory of God!

What about you today? What will people see in your actions? What will they hear in your words? Will you gripe or glorify? Will you exalt self or the Savior?

Believe it or not, many people will be watching you and I today. They will see how we live and they will hear what we have to say.

And through it all, may they see and hear us do one thing above everything else. And that is to glorify our God.

After all, that's what we're meant to do.

This devotional was written by Jimmy D. Brown and reprinted by permission.
©2004 Jimmy D. Brown.

Back To Top