Subjection

Do you feel you are in control of your world?

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, 

'What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?  You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.'

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. - Hebrews 2:5-8

In today's reading, we are told that as humans, all things in this world are subject to us.  So, if the world was made subject to our control, we are responsible for it.

Sometimes I wonder why God would trust us with such an awesome responsibility, since we tend to abuse what we control.

Why is that?

I think we become victims of the power we are given.  We fall into the trap of thinking we are worthy of it, as though it is not a gift, but a right.

When I see what I am given as something I deserve, I may value it less than if I feel I am not worthy to receive it.

Salvation is like that, too.  We may not work hard to make ourselves worthy of God's gift of salvation if we feel it is our right to be saved.

So, as creatures given dominion over the world, perhaps we should look upon this awesome gift as a challenge to our egos, to put the world in perspective, and us along with it.

I think we all get caught up in a game of positions, some looking to blame humanity for all that is evil in the world, while others see the world as ours to do with as we like to use as a resource for our very existence.

But while we take our stands for and against each issue, we fail to see that we are spending our time battling each other rather than doing something to further our causes.

Imagine there are two kings.  One treats his subjects poorly and all in his kingdom despise him, wanting evil to befall him.  The other treats his subjects well, giving them freedoms and opportunities to live in harmony.  One day a mighty army came against each kingdom and waged war.  Which kingdom has a better chance of surviving the attack?

Those who seek to control for their own gain may find their strategy doesn't work.  What they will discover is that giving the subjects of one's control freedom to grow and survive is consistent with Creation, and so that strategy will succeed.

So, why not stop the fighting and be the example we want others to follow, and show the world we can help it survive, one little patch at a time?

More to come...