This is my final paper for The International Healing Rooms School of Transformation in Spokane Washington. Its is very long paper so I am breaking it down in to smaller portions to post here.
This is part 5 of that paper. I hope you enjoy it. I love to hear your feed back in the comments.
This section probably needs more work. I however needed to be done with this project and on to others that need completed before Graduation. I think this paper has the potential of becoming a book. A lot more could be said in this section.
Thanks, Margot
God's Original and Final Intent part 5
Soul:
This is part 5 of that paper. I hope you enjoy it. I love to hear your feed back in the comments.
This section probably needs more work. I however needed to be done with this project and on to others that need completed before Graduation. I think this paper has the potential of becoming a book. A lot more could be said in this section.
Thanks, Margot
God's Original and Final Intent part 5
Soul:
God’s intent regarding reigning and ruling in partnership with Him.
- The Original intent of God for his Family to extend His kingdom (My Soul to magnify the Lord)
I would submit to you that how we feed our soul is in how we care about others and God’s creation. One may feed the soul by basking in the evening sunset, or listening to the creativity of others expressed in art, literature and music, but also in what we do for the least of these because what we do for them we do for the Lord we love. As we live and grow in love our soul is nourished.
As I think about our role as royalty I am reminded that a good king not only cares for His people but for the land that belongs to their kingdom. We have become detached from the land. Most of us no longer till the soil and what we eat comes packaged from the local grocery story. We can easily miss the beauty of creation because we are trapped like a hamster on a wheel. I pray God will help us not only take some time to smell the flowers but to fill our souls with the great beauty of His creation.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (NIV)
“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast.
"I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites," says the LORD.
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
I would like to close with a quote that I found on a site called the theology of work. “From the beginning, God perfectly provisioned the world for humans to thrive. The good earth yields food when humans exercise their God-given ability to “till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). God’s intent is that people would not merely subsist, but have good things in abundance. “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). God gives people the capacity to understand the natural world so that we make use of its resources (Genesis 2:20). Human work and ingenuity are more than capable of developing God’s creation to provide abundantly for all people. In partnership with the Creator, we are to make creative use of the resources of the earth, growing and innovating, creating new products, improving on the original. There is more than enough raw material to go around
© 2014 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc.
In the article called 20 Reasons Why Christians Should care for the Environment that I have include as a resource along with this paper. There are two points that really stood out to me. I know when I have thought of being a king, a priest and a prophet before God, my focus has been on transforming people, setting people free. I have had to repent for my short sightedness. In not realizing that God’s creation is full of wonder and variety. He created it for us to enjoy, not for us to destroy. From that previously mentioned article these points moved my heart.
11 “God is working to recreate and restore not just individual people, but the entire fallen creation. Just as sin was cosmic in scope, causing the very ground to be “cursed” (Genesis 3:17), so redemption is cosmic in scope, causing the entire creation to “groan” in anticipation (Romans 8:19-22) for Jesus’ return, when he will make “all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Since God has not abandoned his creation with a “let it burn” defeatism, neither should we!
12) Human life and flourishing is dependent upon animal and plant life for food, oxygen, vitamins, clothing, environmental stability, and many other basic needs. For example, without insects (as disgusting as we sometimes find them), human beings would be dead in a matter of months.”
As I end this very long paper I find I am back where I began. I want to be uncomfortable with easy answers. We as God’s people should be seeking God for solutions to the problems of our day. We should be shining lights and ambassadors, and his hands and feet in a broken and hurting world.
“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers,
half truth, and superficial relationships
so that you may love deep within your heart:
May God bless you with anger at injustice,
oppression and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace;
I should find myself angered by injustice. To see needs and not think that the Government will take care of the problem. If I am going to live as a mature adult believer, I have to stop adding to the problems and begin to be part of the solution. In making those hard choices to live differently I may “fast” some of my freedoms for the sake of loving the least and the lost and the broken.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those
who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
and to turn their pain into joy;
I have to do more than just shed tears. I have to find a way to help. Be it raising money to put a roof on a church in Africa, or giving up my time to feed the homeless. I am only one person and I know I can’t do it all. I have to begin to inspire my brother and sisters to live not only for them selves and their immediate family but to make room in their hearts to make a difference in the lives of others, and in God’s creation.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”
I love the site called Forks over Knives. The idea of making a difference in the world one bite at a time appeals to me. I post photos of the food I am making, I bring delicious vegan foods to potlucks and meetings. I make an effort not to be condemning but to encourage and help people see that the pain they are experiencing is often linked to the choices we make. The foods we choose to eat and the sins we may not even realize and the people we need to forgive. Gods intent is for us to live life to the full but in doing so we should not be jeopardizing other people or creatures from that as well.
As a three part being I must feed my body, my soul and my sprit in order to be able to "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’" Luke 10:27
No comments:
Post a Comment