How would you describe the activity of Heaven? How do the citizens of that BRIGHT LAND do God’s will? Joyfully? Immediately? Wholeheartedly? Completely? The Puritans used to say that “God loveth adverbs”. ie how we do God’s will is as important as that we do it. Honest, what is your attitude about doing God’s will today? Do you complain? procrastinate? accomplish the bare minimum? When I pray the Lord’s prayer, I sign up for more than doing His will. I surrender myself to doing it in a heavenly way! May this reflections on the words of Christ and our memories of His wholeheartedness inspire all of us as we make our way to a place of worship this morning. What would worship on earth look like if it were patterned after the worship in heaven?
I think of Heaven as a Kingdom. Full of people all in their right places and doing exactly what they are assigned by the King to do. Thus I think of “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” as less to do with attitude and more to do with action (although our attitude is certainly important because what could be better than serving our King? The person who truly gets this will then do so with joy/anticipation/celebration, etc.).
Interesting that Luke recounts this part of the prayer as “Your Kingdom come”… with no reference to Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. What if this first part is the more critical part? What if it is a requirement for the second part? Would this not take out the ….oh so important in our minds… human part and make room for God’s part… the only part that matters?)
“Thy Kingdom come” is the part that I feel led to reflect on more… seek the Lord for answers.
Thanks again for the thought provoking discussions!!