How is "glory" different from "ego"?

[Jamdoc]

So... whenever people talk about God or how good heaven is etc, it's always using the term "glory".
Now maybe I just understand the word wrong, but I just can't get excited for that aspect of it all.

Because when I think "glory" I think of "ego", "esteem" "reputation" etc. A gladiator or prize fighter or professional boxer, gets into fights for "glory" and what is the "glory", a title, a decoration of some sort (like a championship belt), a symbol to show "how great" they are, to be praised and thought highly of. It's all for ego stroking.

So all the scenes in say Revelation 4, 5, 7, 15, and 19, the heavenly scenes, Isaiah 6, it all comes across as ego stroking.
and I can't help but feel massively disappointed at all of existence, if the whole point is.... ego stroking.
People suffered and died for that ego stroking if that's all that it is.

Help me make better sense of it. Because ego stroking is by definition, the most petty and vain thing.
The only other thing that is termed as "glory" biblically is.. glowing. IE when Moses saw God's back it made his face glow and they had to cover it with a veil.
Jesus in Revelation 1's appearance has his face glowing like the sun (and as an aside I don't know why people would find that particular part appealing, looking at the sun is painful, blinding even, it's literally an unfathomable amount of hydrogen bombs going off continually from 93 million miles away, who wants to look directly at a thermonuclear detonation?)

 

[FireDragon76]

Glory in Hebrew is the word kavod, which has connotations of weight or substance. It has nothing to do with ego or reputation in the usual sense, and has more to do with God's being or nature. It is more metaphysical than psychological.

God, in classical Christian theology, doesn't lack anything good, so the idea of vanity or ego doesn't apply to explain God's motivations. In Christian theology, God creates out of freedom and love, not necessity.

Apocalyptic imagery can be difficult to interpret, as it's full of symbolism. The point is that the symbols are meant to be weighty and evocative, to communicate spiritual truths that are metaphysically and morally charged, and shouldn't necessarily be understood in a crude way.

 

[Freth]

The worldly ego can't be involved, because we know it was selfishness that caused Lucifer to fall from heaven.

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Strong's G1391 glory (doxa): from the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective):—dignity, glory(-ious), honour, praise, worship.

1. opinion, judgment, view
2. opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone
   
   1. in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory
3. splendour, brightness
   
   1. of the moon, sun, stars
   2. magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace
   3. majesty
      1. a thing belonging to God
         1. the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity
      2. a thing belonging to Christ
         1. the kingly majesty of the Messiah
         2. the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the majesty
      3. of the angels
         1. as apparent in their exterior brightness
4. a most glorious condition, most exalted state
   1. of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth
   2. the glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven

There is light involved in the glory of God. Moses' face glowed after spending time in God's presence. The definition points to opinion, judgment, view, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone, which I equate to the character of the person being reckoned in the judgment as righteous and sinless (a feat achieved by repentance and help from God, as we can't do it alone), and the glory of God imparted. A blessed condition bestowed by God.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

So... whenever people talk about God or how good heaven is etc, it's always using the term "glory".
Now maybe I just understand the word wrong, but I just can't get excited for that aspect of it all.

Because when I think "glory" I think of "ego", "esteem" "reputation" etc. A gladiator or prize fighter or professional boxer, gets into fights for "glory" and what is the "glory", a title, a decoration of some sort (like a championship belt), a symbol to show "how great" they are, to be praised and thought highly of. It's all for ego stroking.

So all the scenes in say Revelation 4, 5, 7, 15, and 19, the heavenly scenes, Isaiah 6, it all comes across as ego stroking.
and I can't help but feel massively disappointed at all of existence, if the whole point is.... ego stroking.
People suffered and died for that ego stroking if that's all that it is.

Help me make better sense of it. Because ego stroking is by definition, the most petty and vain thing.
The only other thing that is termed as "glory" biblically is.. glowing. IE when Moses saw God's back it made his face glow and they had to cover it with a veil.
Jesus in Revelation 1's appearance has his face glowing like the sun (and as an aside I don't know why people would find that particular part appealing, looking at the sun is painful, blinding even, it's literally an unfathomable amount of hydrogen bombs going off continually from 93 million miles away, who wants to look directly at a thermonuclear detonation?)

In order to understand " glory" we have to go back in scripture to find how it was used in the beginning. Indeed its first use can be taken egotistical however, later the word is used to describe the " weight" of God's character, a completely different perspective.
Human "glory" is often the product of ego—a self-centered desire for importance and praise, possessions and stature.Divine glory, on the other hand, is the very opposite. His glory is the visible manifestation of His infinite worth and perfection. While human glory is a personal gain, divine glory is a gain for all who choose Him.
Simply put, God's glory is about revealing His true nature and character. It is a call to recognize God's immense worth and to live in a way that reflects Him through the power of His Holy Spirit who makes His Home in the believer.

Blessings

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

So... whenever people talk about God or how good heaven is etc, it's always using the term "glory".
Now maybe I just understand the word wrong, but I just can't get excited for that aspect of it all.

Because when I think "glory" I think of "ego", "esteem" "reputation" etc. A gladiator or prize fighter or professional boxer, gets into fights for "glory" and what is the "glory", a title, a decoration of some sort (like a championship belt), a symbol to show "how great" they are, to be praised and thought highly of. It's all for ego stroking.

So all the scenes in say Revelation 4, 5, 7, 15, and 19, the heavenly scenes, Isaiah 6, it all comes across as ego stroking.
and I can't help but feel massively disappointed at all of existence, if the whole point is.... ego stroking.
People suffered and died for that ego stroking if that's all that it is.

Help me make better sense of it. Because ego stroking is by definition, the most petty and vain thing.
The only other thing that is termed as "glory" biblically is.. glowing. IE when Moses saw God's back it made his face glow and they had to cover it with a veil.
Jesus in Revelation 1's appearance has his face glowing like the sun (and as an aside I don't know why people would find that particular part appealing, looking at the sun is painful, blinding even, it's literally an unfathomable amount of hydrogen bombs going off continually from 93 million miles away, who wants to look directly at a thermonuclear detonation?)

One thing in your favor is that you are honest about this concern of yours. If you take it to God and ask Him to straighten out this misconception about Him, He will do it.

 

[Jamdoc]

The worldly ego can't be involved, because we know it was selfishness that caused Lucifer to fall from heaven.

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Strong's G1391 glory (doxa): from the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective):—dignity, glory(-ious), honour, praise, worship.

1. opinion, judgment, view
2. opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone
   
   1. in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory
3. splendour, brightness
   
   1. of the moon, sun, stars
   2. magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace
   3. majesty
      1. a thing belonging to God
         1. the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity
      2. a thing belonging to Christ
         1. the kingly majesty of the Messiah
         2. the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the majesty
      3. of the angels
         1. as apparent in their exterior brightness
4. a most glorious condition, most exalted state
   1. of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth
   2. the glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven

There is light involved in the glory of God. Moses' face glowed after spending time in God's presence. The definition points to opinion, judgment, view, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone, which I equate to the character of the person being reckoned in the judgment as righteous and sinless (a feat achieved by repentance and help from God, as we can't do it alone), and the glory of God imparted. A blessed condition bestowed by God.

So.. glowing, and reputation/esteem/ego
disappointing

 

[Jamdoc]

In order to understand " glory" we have to go back in scripture to find how it was used in the beginning. Indeed its first use can be taken egotistical however, later the word is used to describe the " weight" of God's character, a completely different perspective.
Human "glory" is often the product of ego—a self-centered desire for importance and praise, possessions and stature.Divine glory, on the other hand, is the very opposite. His glory is the visible manifestation of His infinite worth and perfection. While human glory is a personal gain, divine glory is a gain for all who choose Him.
Simply put, God's glory is about revealing His true nature and character. It is a call to recognize God's immense worth and to live in a way that reflects Him through the power of His Holy Spirit who makes His Home in the believer.

Blessings

Isn't the demand for praise and importance kind of just the same thing but He has the power to back it?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Isn't the demand for praise and importance kind of just the same thing but He has the power to back it?

I think what you are missing here is God's relationship with His creation built on genuine love and choice. This perspective emphasizes that a freely given heart holds more value than one compelled by divine command. That being said, demands are not in the character of our God but rather obedience by choice is His wish.

 

[Jamdoc]

I think what you are missing here is God's relationship with His creation built on genuine love and choice. This perspective emphasizes that a freely given heart holds more value than one compelled by divine command. That being said, demands are not in the character of our God but rather obedience by choice is His wish.

But it's kind of to the same ends, how is this not narcissistic to create an entire universe just to tell you how great you are?
It's the motivation that disappoints.
Does He deserve it? Sure
Does He have the power to demand it and expect it? Sure, especially when the alternative is being tortured forever.
But it shows a weaker more petty more vain character. That's what bothers me. The motivation. Creating sentient beings just to worship you with their other "choice" being tortured seems petty and vain.
I don't want to see it like that but it does all come across narcissistic.
In Genesis 1 and 2, God wasn't like that at all, He created, provided for all needs, and demanded nothing in return other than commanding life to thrive, with one singular negative "don't do this".
In the Gospels, God wasn't like that at all. He healed and in fact told those He healed NOT to spread the news, He asked them NOT to make Him famous and give Him glory in other words.
But when written about by humans, even the apostles, it all comes across as self serving narcissistic attention seeking with the ultimate consequence if you don't stroke the ego.

Is it maybe a disconnect in His character vs the way that fallible humans can write about Him and the apostles give Him a motivation that wasn't really what He did it for? Is vain glory seeking just something that humans can understand and so that's how they term it?

Like if I give you a gift, I do it because I think you'd like it and want you to have it and enjoy it. I don't do it for the express purpose of being thanked even though I know it's socially expected to be thanked, I don't care if you forget to thank me, it's not a consequence to me as long as my gift was enjoyed. The giving of the gift is then done without ego, and any enjoyment I reap out of it is not centered on myself, but you.

But when it's all "for the glory of God" then it becomes kind of self serving, the most selfless act in human history done for a selfish reason.
I am hoping that it is just how other people wrote about Him or how other believers just describe it.

It in fact dims the "glory" and makes God look... less if it's all for attention/praise/"glory"
This is just something sticking with me that's just.. wrong but I can't help but feel immensely disappointed.

 

[ARBITER01]

Help me make better sense of it.

*Thinks for a moment*

Naaaa,...... you'll argue away any help. Figure it out yourself.

 

[NBB]

God glory is something tangible, Moses came down meeting God with his face radiating light, because of the glory that was up there.

 

[Richard T]

I think what you are missing here is God's relationship with His creation built on genuine love and choice. This perspective emphasizes that a freely given heart holds more value than one compelled by divine command. That being said, demands are not in the character of our God but rather obedience by choice is His wish.

So... whenever people talk about God or how good heaven is etc, it's always using the term "glory".
Now maybe I just understand the word wrong, but I just can't get excited for that aspect of it all.

Because when I think "glory" I think of "ego", "esteem" "reputation" etc. A gladiator or prize fighter or professional boxer, gets into fights for "glory" and what is the "glory", a title, a decoration of some sort (like a championship belt), a symbol to show "how great" they are, to be praised and thought highly of. It's all for ego stroking.

So all the scenes in say Revelation 4, 5, 7, 15, and 19, the heavenly scenes, Isaiah 6, it all comes across as ego stroking.
and I can't help but feel massively disappointed at all of existence, if the whole point is.... ego stroking.
People suffered and died for that ego stroking if that's all that it is.

Help me make better sense of it. Because ego stroking is by definition, the most petty and vain thing.
The only other thing that is termed as "glory" biblically is.. glowing. IE when Moses saw God's back it made his face glow and they had to cover it with a veil.
Jesus in Revelation 1's appearance has his face glowing like the sun (and as an aside I don't know why people would find that particular part appealing, looking at the sun is painful, blinding even, it's literally an unfathomable amount of hydrogen bombs going off continually from 93 million miles away, who wants to look directly at a thermonuclear detonation?)

We might also think that when we glorify God, sing praise or worship him that the purpose is not for Him, but for us. It helps transform us to give recognition to the creator. That we can glorify God sets us apart. I really do not think it does anything for Him. I am taught He never really needed us.

 

[Jamdoc]

We might also think that when we glorify God, sing praise or worship him that the purpose is not for Him, but for us. It helps transform us to give recognition to the creator. That we can glorify God sets us apart. I really do not think it does anything for Him. I am taught He never really needed us.

Well as someone who loathes the act of singing, if it doesn't do anything for Him, it also doesn't do anything for me. That just makes it feel even more vain.

 

[Richard T]

Well as someone who loathes the act of singing, if it doesn't do anything for Him, it also doesn't do anything for me. That just makes it feel even more vain.

I can empathize with you but consider that he does inhabit the praises of his people. Ps 22:3. There also is a sacrifice of praise that can help us change and stay focused.

 

[The Righterzpen]

I can't help but feel immensely disappointed.

Immensely disappointed by.....

A Creator possessing the knowledge of good and evil; knowing the fall was inevitable, but decided to create a cosmos anyways. So by His power, He interjects His will to create life upon a matrix that was destine for the destruction corruption would bring. He knew the only thing that would save this cosmos was if He stepped into it and took upon Himself the judgement deserved; of that which could not stand in the presence of His glory; because the presence of the entity that He is would destroy it. God couldn't stop that from happening because that's just the nature of who He is. A consuming fire. You throw paper in there; it burns up. You throw gold in, it refines and ultimately becomes more valuable.

So He takes on the sin of a bunch of people who hated Him to begin with! Confronts His own wrath on their behalf. Sends His Spirit to resurrect their dead.... arses... from the pit of their own hatred and debase hedonistic destruction caused by the worship of themselves!

And you think God is the one with the ego problem?

 

[Jamdoc]

Immensely disappointed by.....

A Creator possessing the knowledge of good and evil; knowing the fall was inevitable, but decided to create a cosmos anyways. So by His power, He interjects His will to create life upon a matrix that was destine for the destruction corruption would bring. He knew the only thing that would save this cosmos was if He stepped into it and took upon Himself the judgement deserved; of that which could not stand in the presence of His glory; because the presence of the entity that He is would destroy it. God couldn't stop that from happening because that's just the nature of who He is. A consuming fire. You throw paper in there; it burns up. You throw gold in, it refines and ultimately becomes more valuable.

So He takes on the sin of a bunch of people who hated Him to begin with! Confronts His own wrath on their behalf. Sends His Spirit to resurrect their dead.... arses... from the pit of their own hatred and debase hedonistic destruction caused by the worship of themselves!

And you think God is the one with the ego problem?

I'm disappointed with anyone who does something for a self serving reason, including myself.