A Life Worthy

For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory… (Matthew 6:13)

Glory is an interesting word.  It’s not one we use often, or about ordinary things.  Glory is the stuff of epics and legends and Marvel®ous heroes, of achievements and beauty and power far beyond our own.  

Glory is the currency of heroes.

When you think of God, how do you picture him?  Do you see him as the kindly old grandfather, patient and gentle and loving–

or do you see a warrior-king, awesome in power and strength, blinding to look at?

He’s both.  

And so much more.

You serve a glorious Lord, Beloved.  Walk in awe today.

For the next few days, I will be looking at what some might consider a questionable part of Scripture.  The traditional ending of the Lord’s Prayer is not in the earliest copies of Matthew, so many people don’t consider it canon.  Look, Beloved, I’m not going heretic on you.  It’s simply that I memorized this passage by learning the song, and the song includes the doxology at the end, and so it feels incomplete not to include it.  Besides, there is nothing in these lines that contradicts the rest of Scripture.  I hope you’re cool with that.

For yours is the kingdom…(Matthew 6:13)

God’s in charge.

I think the theological response to that is, “No duh.”

And yet, this is the critical statement for every living being.  It is God’s kingdom, not mine.  No matter how much I want to be on the throne, no matter how desperately I feel the need to be in control of every situation, it is not my kingdom.  Recognizing and embracing that is the first step in relationship with Him, and it’s a step that I have to repeat daily.  It’s kind of a simple paradigm realignment:

You are God.

I am not.

That is good.

Now I can go on with my day.

So, Beloved…

He is God.

You are not.

That is good.

Happy Tuesday.  

Forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:12).

Your translation probably says “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” but I like this version, and it’s my blog, so…

I’m actually pretty good at forgiveness.  When someone asks my pardon, I generally give it readily and fully.  That’s not because I am Super Saint.  It’s just that I remember this verse.

And I see that little word as.

See, the line reads, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive…”

In other words, we are asking that the Father forgive us in the same way that we forgive others.

Well, I want to be forgiven fully and freely and immediately and thoroughly.

So…

There you go.

Walk in forgiveness today, Beloved.

Happy Friday.

…your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

I think the hardest part of the whole living for God thing can be found in this verse.  Because God doesn’t always listen to my design input as he formulates his will, and frankly that annoys me.  

But here’s something to think about, Beloved: Heaven is all about God’s will.  So, if we can’t learn to say, “Your will be done” here, well…our first few weeks of eternity might get a little crunchy.

Of course, that may be part of why we’re here in the first place: to learn to say, “Your will be done” and mean it with our whole everything.

I can’t do it yet.

Yet.

But someday…

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven…(Matthew 6:9)

Not Mighty God

Not Lord of the Universe

Not Holy One

Not Creator

Not Sustainer

Not Giver and Taker of Life

Not Commander of the Heavenly Host

Father

When Jesus taught his followers to pray, he started with Father.

And so should we.

Happy Monday, Beloved