The Will of God 

   “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3: 35) 

   I often write about obeying the will of God for it is only by following His will that I can attain heaven.  The words of Jesus quoted above state this very clearly.  If we are to be the children of God, the brethren of our Lord, Jesus Christ we are to conform ourselves to the will of the Father.

   Yet I sometimes wonder how well I’m doing at following the will of God.  That is my desire, what I want to do more than anything, but like St. Paul, “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Romans 7: 19).  Sin is a part of me, I cannot escape it.  I can only resist and pray for God’s mercy when I fail.

   The world is a sinful place, the temptations of Satan abound.  Evil has always existed, but it seems that the acceptance of evil has become the norm in today’s society.  We have lost all shame; our moral compass is badly broken.  We care only for our own wicked desires, all else be damned.

   However, if I don’t recognize and repent of my own failings I am a hypocrite to point out the failings of others.  As Christ said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8: 7).  I, like all Christians, have a duty to recognize and to speak out the against sins of the world.  But I must also recognize that I too am a sinner in need of the forgiveness of my Savior.