Published March 8, 2021 by in
“Your kingdom come. You will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10).
St. Francis writes about the kingdom to come, as a reality we will experience fully in the kingdom by God’s grace. When that happens, we shall see the Father clearly, love Him perfectly, and enjoy the Father’s presence forever.
He also writes about doing the Father’s will on earth in the present! On earth where our love for God is whole-hearted, where minds are always on the Father, souls always longing for the Father, serving only the Father, and the list goes on about how the kingdom on earth should look.
Thoughts and prayers for the coming kingdom fill us with joy, anticipation, comfort, and peace.
Praying for the present earthly kingdom to come where the Father’s will and rule fills and controls us completely, well, that’s different. It is a prayer that intimidates us, makes our present shortcomings so obvious, and even makes us uncomfortable with how far short we fall in terms of submitting our will to God’s will. After all, we are just human! After all, only Jesus was perfect! What do we do?
The Kingdom of God refers to a place, a reality, where God’s desire and will is experienced. We often struggle with even knowing God’s will, carrying out God’s will, submitting to God’s will. What shall we do?
Never give up! Kingdom living is the process of a lifetime…
Remember! We can’t be Jesus, but we can live as Jesus taught – to the best of our ability each day…
So, press on to seeking full Kingdom living with all of our hearts and minds…
Use scripture to bring us to the regular realization of our continual needs to turn toward God in new ways…
How? I suggest praying Romans 12:1-2 as a way to examine ourselves daily, weekly, as often as we can:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
On the journey, we will see the real Jesus!