In the world there are many bad things that happen to good people. Villages get swept away by hurricanes, cops shot by criminals, drunk drivers wreck into oncoming traffic, a young child loses his constant battle with cancer. The fact is, bad things do happen to good, innocent people. However, we can use these bad things to glorify God. It is how we respond to bad events in our lives or in the world that can be used to glorify God. In John 11:4 it is said
“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s son may be glorified.” I interpret this to mean that no matter what bad things happen, God can still be glorified in any situation. We must make the best of all situations and use it for the glory of
God.
A few years ago, I went with on mission trip to Georgetown, South Carolina, with my aunt and her church. There were various other churches there, and I knew nobody. It was very intimidating at first, being one of the youngest there. The first day we went on a tour of the houses where we might work, so that we would know what we would face and have no surprises. I got assigned to the best house there was. I had a nice older lady who had fallen behind on her bills and her medical conditions weren’t allowing her to catch up easily. The condition of her house became a low priority when compared to the bills that were piling up.
Through all of the work on her house we did and the bonding we did with her, we were able to glorify God to her; to show her how He pushes us to help others and how He has impacted our own lives. She became eager everyday to hear about the church services we had every night, and I believe that we helped to revive her faith. She still emails the pastor today to learn about his lessons and how his church is. Through mission work and just talking with this woman we were able to glorify God.
Another example that I am going through right now is the amount schoolwork I have taken on. While taking 7 IB courses and 1 elective course, it can be hard to keep what is

really important in perspective. I find myself skipping church some Sundays to catch up on sleep I missed over the school week, or being tempted to use others’ work rather than do my own. Grades have become too important to me, and I often forget I need to take care of myself. If I’m not careful, I can find my morals changing, and I try to justify my actions falsely.
It’s not always easy to resist these temptations; however, it is how we do react to these temptations that can be used to glorify God.
Another, perhaps the most important of these examples, is how we treat our family.
The 5th commandment of the 10 commandments is to “Honor your father and your mother.”
How we treat