Question: How do I give glory to God without sounding ‘holier than thou’?

Answer:

We as believers are encouraged to always speak with respect and Christ-like love to others.  Never to bring dishonor to Christ’s name by arrogant, harsh or abusive speech (Eph 4:29).

And when we do, we should humbly apologize and seek the injured parties’ forgiveness, whether they be Christian or not!  I would offer that the  key point here is to not be one who speaks in “Christian-ese” to others all the time!  By “Christian-ese,” I mean quoting Scripture all the time to those around you and flippantly using Christian phrases like “praise the Lord” or “it’s God’s will” for everything that happens to you or others!

A good rule of thumb is to follow Matt 7:12… “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the law and the Prophets”

Having said that, we should be prepared to be treated poorly for being identified as a follower of Jesus Christ and sharing our faith with unbelievers (Matt 5:11-12).

Peter said it best in 1 Peter 4:14-16:

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of  glory and of God rests on you.  Make sure that no one suffers as a murderer or thief or evil doer or a troubelsome meddler, but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name”