"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
It is not coincidental that Jesus phrased this prayer in such a way that God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven directly follows the idea of God's Kingdom coming. Again, we sometimes relegate His Kingdom and His will being accomplished to some far away date when Jesus finally comes again. This truth, however, is condiderably more immediate.
I'm thinking of where Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ. Consider the role of an ambassador. An ambassador fully represents his home country, wielding the authority of his home country to accomplish the agenda of his home country. When an ambassador speaks in an official capacity, he speaks in the name of his home country. And if an ambassador begins carrying out his own agenda instead of the agenda of his home country, using his political clout and authority and influence improperly, it is treason.
God has an agenda for this world. God has plans and desires. His plans and desires are accomplished through His people, His ambassadors. There is a very real sense in which when we ask that God's will be done, we are not simply and passively and fatalistically abdicating our role in accomplishing God's purposes; rather, we are actively, as His ambassadors, seeking our assignments. We are seeking direction from our King so that we can accomplish Kingdom purposes -not somewhere in the sweet bye-and-bye, but here and now, today.
No comments:
Post a Comment