Tonight I'm going to cheat a little and talk about something from tomorrows reading.
While reading the excerpts from Benedict's Rule, I found one point he made extremely challenging and necessary for every day living.
In the except entitled, "Tools for good works" Benedict says, "Live in fear of Judgement Day and have a great horror for Hell. Yearn for ever-lasting life with holy desire."
I really loved this because how often do we get caught up in living for the here and now? How often do we as Christians push aside the thoughts of Hell because we are already saved from it?
We should always remember that Hell is a place to be feared, reverenced, and even respected. A very real, scary place. It IS important to remember that we ARE already saved from it, but it is necessary to remember just how scary it is, so that we will go out and share with others how to be saved from it.
We must ultimately live with Heaven on our minds. The excerpt ends with a question..."Are you hastening towards your Heavenly home?" We must be reminded that our goal is to press on, towards our Heavenly goal. We are to live each day, thinking about eternal things and remembering how important they truly are as opposed to earthly things.
P.s. I commented on Becca's post from last weeks reading, "Water in the Well"
I agree that it is important to keep your mind focused on Heaven and eternal things, but I think these rules and beliefs lead down a dangerous road of forgetting grace. To me, it seems to lead to the state of Martin Luther, who at one point lived in fear for his life. I think it's a delicate balance.
ReplyDeleteThis same passage struck me too Rebekah. I think it is because today we hear so much more about the good things we inherit than the bad that we are exempt from when we become saved that we forget sometimes the true and terrifying existence of an eternity empty of God's presence:Hell. I also agree with Danielle though that it is a very delicate balance between focusing on eternity and grace.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a delicate balance that has to be had here. I definitely agree that we do tend to focus on those things that we find good and pleasing in God. However, we lose the whole picture when we forget that God exercises perfect wrath and judgement just as he demonstrates perfect love. I think Hell is something that should never be forgotten as Christians, yet it should never be focused on. We were saved from it, the horrible, terribly real place that it is, yet we also ought have been given the freedom to stand confident in Christ.
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