Friday, September 12, 2014

Thoughts on grace and a detour to glory

I decided 'grace' would be my scripture study topic, but in true form, as soon as I left the Bible dictionary for my first scripture, something else caught my eye. In John 15 Jesus gives the parable of the true vine. In verse 8,"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;"
It has never squared with my understanding and my personal experiences that God, our Father, was a being who wanted glory. He is not an egotist!  But at that same moment, the following occurred to me: He is not seeking glory. He is seeking for His children's welfare. He wants us to know and understand and act upon who we are as children of divine, eternal, infinite Celestial parents. And with each new step we take, even the smallest of baby steps, with their lurching, awkward, unsteady gait, He beams! He is honored by our goodness. As we, His children, blossom and learn to act on our Godly, noble true being, bearing much fruit, it reflects on Him, for we are like Him.
 As a parent of adult children, I understand! As Daniel, Victoria, Richard, Carisa, James, and Ellie show compassion in their dealings with people, I am glorified. As they seek and follow the guidance of the Spirit, my soul is enlarged. When others see them, my part in their lives is revealed a bit, and yet, it's not about ME. It is about my children's ability to enact positive things which will lead them to knowing their true, infinite worth, and will in turn inspire those around them to discover THEIR true nature and act upon it.  Being glorified, then, isn't being an egotist; it's rejoicing in the success of your children and feeling humbled and honored.