One of the first things that stuck out to me while doing this reading was “God’s kingdom has always sounded like good news for people whose lives are bad news.” This is so true in our world today, it seems like the people who have so little give themselves completely to God without a thought because they have something to look forward to. People who have everything have a harder time giving there life to God because they can really easily forget that their success does not just come from themselves, but that it is more than success, it is a blessing.
Plantinga highlights that our primary reason for living is to live in and for God’s glory. This is why we must strive to do our best. This also connects to the previous idea blogged about that God has given us the thirst for knowledge for a reason, and that we should strive to quench that thirst.
Something that really stuck out to me during this reading was “a citizen of the kingdom takes part in government – at minimum by voting intelligently, praying for leaders faithfully, and paying taxes willingly.” With the inauguration tomorrow this really struck me. Sometimes I can get so caught up in thinking that what is happening in the world isn’t as important as what is to come, I can forget that my vocation on earth is a very important part of God’s will. I realize that the kingdom of God in full is the ultimate goal, but I am so often forgetting that what happens here and now is also a part of the kingdom. I think reminding myself that receiving a vocation isn’t a choice, it’s a calling, is very important. It’s a calling that we can pretend not to here (like when our mother calls us to do chores and we ignore them) but nonetheless we know it is the right thing to do (just like we know it is right to listen to our mothers). In the end it is coming from our Father and we should obey him to.
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Dear Bridget,
ReplyDeleteI also agree that this essay goes well with Lewis' learning in wartinme.
Yes! Our work here is in a continuum with Eternity! Yes, Jesus did initiate what He will finish when He comes again. I think the best way to put is to compare His actions to the initiation of a majestic domino effect that will end at His second coming!
All our lives (and what we do) are as if one of these dominoes set up on the 'table of Eternity' being repared for the fulfilment of His Heavenly Kingdom.
Not only that: If today's 'man or rabit may be included. Then
Ecclesiastes 3:11 that says “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end”.
He has made everything beautiful!
Everything beautiful in its own time!
Even though He has set us in Eternity;
We are made for eternity and find it hard to understand that our duties here are part of that Eternity.
We forget that it is ‘only in the present that we meet the Eternal God’ because only at that point it is that He can meet us…
Only the now touches Eternity by its ‘time’ value.
God is always in the ‘NOW’…
Only for us there is past and future!
Blessings,
A & P