He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.
Psalm 96:13 NLT
Sometimes I yearn to move from this life into eternity where every tear will be wiped from our eyes (Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4). But to live in an unrealised future is to remove us from the present. What’s more, this God who will return is actually present and at work within our world now. If we try to avoid the troubles of this world as we yearn for eternity, we fail to appreciate the reality of God’s presence now.
The exciting aspect for me is that God’s presence in this world is closely related to the way I live my life. I am a point of presence for the kingdom of God. In the face of opposition and under the duress of a stressful life, I can impress upon my immediate surroundings a Godprint rather than my own footprint. The joy of a Godprint is that is carries the presence of God. My footprint only reflects me.
Many of the questions I face in both pub and supermarket reflect the anger and anxiety of people who feel increasingly out of control of their own destiny. It’s easy to get drawn into a fruitless conversation about the ineptitude of political leadership. Such conversations reference my needs, fears and frustrations. The result is a hotbed of discontent. My peace is displaced and I run the risk of passing this dis-ease on to others.
However, if I can acknowledge my discontent, often born of a sense of powerlessness, I create space to remind myself this is God’s world. I recall that I am mortal and will at some point return to dust. I then reflect on the good news I can be, in carrying the characteristics of God into a wounded world, and work on leaving a Godprint in place of my footprint.
Your mortality is beyond question. Your value undisputed. Yet, your earthly presence can reflect the reality of God’s kingdom now, and not just point to something that lies in your future.
QUESTION
Are you leaving footprints or Godprints as you walk through life?
PRAYER
May my life today reflect the reality of your kingdom here and now and not just about my future destiny.
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