Shaping the Future

Predicting the future is hard to do. Having a hand in the creation of the future is also hard to do, but it is what God calls us to. God calls us to join him in shaping the future, the new heaven and the new earth. Remarkably, it begins with us bowing our heads, becoming humble before God, and doing as we’re told. Most people think of themselves as good, reasonable, but God knows us completely, and he doesn’t over- or underestimate us. He knows us. He knows any way we have of cutting corners, excusing ourselves (especially to ourselves – I mean, we all have a good reason for what we do, right?) I was reading a report not too long ago about a survey taken of CEO’s, where it came out that they knew it was okay for them to speed, but they felt like, generally, everyone else should obey the speed limit. We all have our reasons – theirs was that they had some place to be and they were important. That tells you something of how they understood everyone else. God calls us into humility and obedience to the Spirit so that we can help him shape the future. This begins within us. Most of it, actually, remains with what God does within us. The more we listen, the more we identify as one of Jesus’ followers, the more we are shaped into a person who is ready to be part of God’s kingdom, the new heaven and earth. The next piece of this, of course, is how life changes around us as we change. We look for the difference in people with whom we interact. We see the influence that is happening in our community because we make different choices, and we realize that it is happening because doors are opening for God to work in people’s hearts. The shaping of things to come starts and stays within us, but it then grows, nurtured by the Gardener. Blessings, Geoff