The Weight of Glory

I can't believe I am going to write a blog about something I read for school... but I am. I am fortunate to go to an amazing school that loves to talk about Jesus, Oral Roberts University. Because of this, we get to read really cool stuff that has to do with Jesus :). I will start by saying I am SO grateful for that because I haven't always had that luxury (all of those reading from Missouri Valley may now reply "Amen").

We read "The Weight of Glory" by C.S. Lewis for my comp 303 class (which I was sorta bitter about having to take because I felt that I had already taken it, transferring sucks). It was sorta long, really dense, and at times hard to pay attention to BUT I ended up being extremely blessed by it, so now I shall share that with you.

Here is a brief synopsis of what the essay is about: Lewis mentions some of the promises that we are entitled to as believers (1. we shall be with Christ 2. we shall be like Him 3. with an enormous wealth of imagery, we shall have "glory" 4. we shall be fed or feasted or entertained and 5. we shall have some sort of official position in the universe, ruling cities, etc). Lewis focus, however, is on promise 3: that we shall have glory. Wow... GLORY, me? us? Yes.

So what does this mean? Are we even worthy of glory? Lewis brings this up, the fact that Christians are uncomfortable being rewarded at all, especially with glory. Lewis explains this beautifully when he says, "The reward he is going to get will, in actual fact, be a natural or proper reward, but he will not know that until he has got it.". I believe the previous quote is how we remain humble. The reason we are so uncomfortable with the fact that we will be rewarded with glory is because we feel we are unworthy (and we are, BUT His grace...). We feel that in order to achieve a great reward we must do something great. But God remembers EVERYTHING we do, he especially likes to remember all of the good things we do (Mark 9:41-I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward). God is so good, and he rewards us according to our good works. Every person is destined for glory (according to Lewis) but the beauty is that God gave us a free will, the ability to choose to claim that glory or not.

What really got me was the discussion in class. We discussed the fact that if we really view everyone as destined for glory, how then will that change the way we treat people. I found myself welling up with tears in class because of how heavy this notion is. When you really see people as either destined for glory, or not, it becomes this incredibly heavy issue. Like, everything I say to someone is ultimately assisting them into glory or to horrible corruption. Heavy. Lewis closes the essay by making the point that because of this very premiss, "there is no ordinary people". You are not ordinary because God is extraordinary and He made you in His image. You are extraordinary, destined for glory.

"The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken."

James 4:6 
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

1 Peter 5:2-4 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.