There are many ways to think about glory, and I appreciated how Lewis admitted that he had previously been wrong and seen glory in a way that didn’t make the most sense. Lewis says that he previously had thought of glory as one person being higher than another and was therefore a competitive entity of which it was somewhat selfish to strive for. As such, Lewis saw no place for glory in heaven. Others helped Lewis to see a new definition of Glory, where glory is having a superior be pleased with you. It then made sense to Lewis that glory should exist in heaven.
I agree with the existence of this glory in heaven. God is after all named “God the Father.” It would make sense if he was pleased with us much as a parent is pleased with a good child as Lewis puts it. Lewis talks of how marriage is the proper goal of love and victory of battle. Those are the consummation of those activities and thus the proper goal. I think that glory is the proper goal of our lives here on earth. Looking from a reformed perspective, we are supposed to be followers of Christ, “Christians.” We are supposed to try and reform all areas of creation. In every sphere of our lives we are supposed to try to glorify God. This makes sense in Lewis’ new definition of glory. We are doing things that are pleasing to God; our actions should be ones that God is happy with. Glory is I think only in heaven. We try to please God, yet we don’t really know that he is pleased with us until that day when we enter into his heavenly kingdom. It is the proper goal of our lives here on earth.
So we want God to be happy with us and we are never affirmed of this. It is I think due to this that we try and seek validation here on earth. In one of my previous entries, I discussed how Lewis said that God does not give us happiness from things on earth but through them. This is an example of that. We seek validation from our parents because it mimics the deeper longing of validation from God. Often we slip and try to seek validation in the wrong ways from the wrong people. For example promiscuity typically occurs because people are seeking validation from the other sex. As people we want to be liked and for people to be happy with us. This longing comes from an innate desire for the heavenly glory which is the consummation of our lives here on earth.
I like what you said about glory only being in heaven and yet at the same time, that kind of scares me. What if what we think is a good job on earth isn't according to God? Maybe I'm just worrying too much (because I usually do) but at the same time I'd like to have a little confirmation here and there. I understand what we as Christians are called to be/do but affirmation from the Big man upstairs would be appreciated... Great thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you develop glory - and as Gina comments: we need some affirmation here on earth...
ReplyDeleteHowever, when I started thinking on that. How did Jesus finds his affirmation here on earth? By letting himself be crucified? Or should it become more clear in the 'blessed when they persecute you for My Name's sake'?
So many questions that will BEG for answers in heaven!
May our desires be driven for a 'day at the beach' instead of baking mud-pies in the slums of life!
Adriana
I like your perspective on this, but I have to disagree with you on tow points. The first one (more of a wording issue than anything, probably) is that the comments you made about "being reformed" should really be broadened to Christians in general. All legitimate denominations of Christianity are seeking God's glory. The second point is that when you say that "we don’t really know that he is pleased with us until that day when we enter into his heavenly kingdom," this takes the focus off of God and puts it on us again. The purpose of serving His Kingdom should not be solely for Him to be "pleased with us," but rather to bring Him glory and give Him praise for what He's done for us. We need to take the focus off of our recognition, "glory" in God's eyes (although this will follow) and remember the greater reason for serving Him.
ReplyDeleteJust a few points of feedback. Thank you for opening these points up for discussion!
I think we should remember that glory is a gift we receive from God. It is not something that we can obtain by our actions but only something that God can give us through the cross. In this way, like Nathan pointed out, glory remains in the possession of God. I think you make some good points I just think we ought to remember that the purpose of all things is God's glory.
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