Along with these ideas about gifts, let me throw in a thought about Heaven. Are we to imagine that these good gifts and talents, given to us by God to use in this shadow we call Life on Earth, are meant to fall away from us just as we get past the pre-game and into the real world? When good theology teaches us to believe that as we become more like Christ we become more like the perfection of that self that God intended, are we to simultaneously believe that when at last we come nearest Him some of those essences of our being will simply disappear?
I cannot prove it except that instinct revolts. Is it not more likely that once we cross the bar, try on our new bodies (and they will be physical bodies), and get acquainted with our place in the Kingdom we shall discover what our earthly gifts and talents were really for? I might really be able to paint then. My dad might really be able to write music. Mom might really be able to cook. And those people we count great on earth will be our equals in that they will learn their skills were only ever the tip of an iceberg: imagine a Jackie Robinson who could actually play baseball! And all of us who count our gifts as little or not even gifts, will finally see them as good for something— as one more way to honor the King.
4 comments:
Now THAT is something I could get used to! I mean, really. Without our human-ness and sinful nature tying into everything we do......WOW! That is simply mind-blowing. I literally can not fully imagine what that will be like. And I like that I can't. It's cool! :0)
This is a concept that is of great comfort to me. On an emotional level, it may mean that those things I long to be able to complete before I leave this earth, but won't have the time for, will be accomplished on the other side. Take quilts for example.....I can only imagine the awesomeness of the colors I'll have to work with, and no matter how complex the patterns, I'll have time to finish them. I'm wondering if finances will be an issue in this arena? Will the cost be unimportant or will there be materials in abundance for the using? Time and money are such restrictors here.....it would be awesome to not have to worry about either! :-)
I dunno, I think it may be fun to have different talents/gifts in heaven. There are so many different things that I'd like to learn how to do, but just don't have the time. For starters when I get to heaven I wouldn't mind mastering all of the sciences I haven't gotten a chance to yet, how to play golf without hitting too many houses and the fine art of the one-liner. =)
Absolutely! I don't think our talents will be limited in any way to the ones we've had here. I can't wait to learn more! I just don't think what we've learned here will be lost. Or proven useless. I think it's FOR something.
Post a Comment