Living In God’s Will 

   Some people struggle through life.  They search and search but never find satisfaction, happiness, and peace.  Life becomes a drudgery that provides little enjoyment.

   Others, however, seem to always have a smile on their face regardless of the circumstances.  They seem to never become unsettled or unhappy.  Life comes and goes, and nothing detracts from the inner peace they know.

   What is the difference between these two groups?  I am convinced that the difference is that one is living for self and earthly joys and the other is striving to live in the will of God.  In His will there will always be inner peace and calm, even in the worst of times.

   Living in the will of God doesn’t mean that we will never know strife or heartache, it means that we can turn to God for His strength to help us through those times rather than fighting the battle alone.

   As Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote, “Our Lord did not ask us to give up the things of earth, but to exchange them for better things."  When our focus is on our eternal soul rather than our mortal bodies, the things of this world lose their luster and they also lose their ability to cause angst within us.

   Our goal cannot be the things of this world, it must be the glory of the next.  We can and should enjoy the beauty and blessings that God gives us in this world, but we must always remember that this world is not our final home.  At any moment this world may cease to exist, but eternity is forever.  When we plan for the ever-lasting, the temporary fades into insignificance.

  

Why Did God Make Me? 

   “Why did God make you?  God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.” (Baltimore Catechism) 

   I love the simplicity of the Baltimore Catechism.  It teaches our faith succinctly and in words anyone can understand.  I also love delving into the depths of my faith, but the Baltimore Catechism sets the stage for further, deeper exploration of my belief in God.

   God made me to know Him.  I’ve come to realize that I can never fully know God in this lifetime but the search and desire to know Him better is what drives my faith.  I want to know as much as He is willing to reveal to me.

   He wants me to love Him.  Loving God is what man was created to do. Sadly, we have often failed miserably in these efforts.  But I’ve also learned that when we love God, even a little, His love in return is so fulfilling; it satisfies my soul.  The more I love Him, the more love I receive.  But there is a caveat involved.  The love I receive from God can never be held selfishly; it must be shared with others.

   He made me to serve Him in this world.  I love serving my Lord, it is an opportunity to give back to Him for all He has given me.  Though I can never serve Him perfectly as a sinful man, the desire to serve Him as fully as possible is a joy and a blessing.

   He made me to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.  Very simply, I can spend eternity with God in heaven or with Satan in hell.  There are no other options.  Those who believe this life is all there is will come to know, and to regret, how wrong they were.  I pray for the conversion of those who do not know God.

   These are the things God created me for.  But there is another benefit to doing all I can to comply with His wishes.  Those who love God and serve Him will not only be happy with Him in heaven, but He will share a foretaste of that happiness in this life.  The blessings He shares with me in this life are little in comparison to the joys of heaven and yet the joy and happiness they provide far exceed anything this world has to offer.  Knowing the presence and the love of God is the key to a happy life regardless of what circumstances may arise.

 

 Love As God Loves 

   The word “love” is terribly misunderstood and misused in our society today.  The word has lost the meaning it is intended to have and has become just a way of saying how much we like "things".  But love doesn’t apply to inanimate objects, only our brothers and sisters in this life and to God.

   Love is the conscious desire for the good of the beloved even when it is painful or difficult.  To love as God loves means the willingness to give up even your life for the beloved as Christ did on the cross for each of us, both the sinners and the righteous.

   Marriage is to be an example of love as is intended.  Love for God and love for the beloved.  Love is not demanding, nor is it ever to be used as a bargaining chip to get something we want.  When pride and selfishness enter the marital relationship, they destroy what makes it beautiful.

   Love of a spouse should come as close as possible to the love of God.  It should be concerned only with the increase of love between spouses and between them and God.  A marriage that does not honor God as its center is a marriage that is at risk of failing.

   When we look to God with love and offer ourselves to Him and His will, we will be greatly blessed in this life and know perfect joy in the next.

 

 A Wonderful World 

   “I see trees of green, red roses too.  I see them bloom for me and you.  And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” (“What a Wonderful World”, lyrics by George David Weiss and Robert Thiele) 

   As a younger man I saw the world differently than today.  The beauty and majesty of creation was often lost among the needs of the day in a busy life.  Today I am much more conscious of the beauty that surrounds me and recognize that such beauty can only have come from a loving God.

   While science looks for the reasons why the universe is as it is, I see it as an expression of God’s love for you and me.  I don’t understand how anyone can look at the incredible photos of the universe and not see the hand of the Creator.  Science tries but I suspect they will never fully understand our universe, and I wonder if that inability is part of the miracle, a means to teach us humility.

   Humanity seems to love a mystery, especially one that appears to be unsolvable.  Once we fully understand things we tend to dismiss them.   To me this demonstrates our search for something greater than ourselves.   As St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” (“Confessions”)

   When we place our faith, hopes, and trust in God we more clearly see the majesty of His creation.  Not only the universe at large but even the perfection of the simplest of things.  Most of all, we will begin to see and understand that all these miracles are the result of one thing and one thing only: the incredible love of God.

 

 Be Holy 

   “He who called you is holy.  Therefore, be holy yourselves in all your conduct.  For Scripture says, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1: 15 – 16) 

   We are called to be holy, but how are we to become holy?  No matter how we try, no matter how often we go to Mass, we can never make ourselves holy.  There is only one way to obtain holiness, and that is by the grace of God.

   If our desire is to be holy we must, like our Blessed Mother, say to God, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.  Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38).  There is no other path to holiness.

   God wants us to be holy and He will make us holy if we agree to let Him.  But even then free will remains.  We must make a conscious decision to treasure the holiness, to live always seeking to find increase, trusting in God in all we do.  Otherwise we can thwart the holiness God has blessed us with.

   In the world today submission is often considered a weakness, but submission to God’s will is a blessing and the path to eternal happiness.  We must approach holiness as Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “….your will, not mine be done.” (Matt 26: 39).  Even when we don’t understand, even when what He asks is difficult, we must always accept that His will is best, no matter the consequences.

   Whenever we submit our will to His, the rewards will be great.  Seeking holiness through His grace is no different.  Our desire to be holy as He is holy pleases God and His graces will be abundant.

Why Me Lord? 

   “Why me Lord, what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known?  Tell me Lord, what did I ever do that was worth loving you or the kindness you’ve shown?” (Why Me Lord – lyrics by Kris Kristofferson) 

   I look back over my life and I see many things that would seem to eliminate me from God’s caring love.  Over and over again I turned from Him, seeking my own desires in life rather than His will for me.  I’m amazed that He didn’t just give up on me.

   Instead, He kept loving me and showing me His love in so many ways even though I didn’t recognize it and give Him the thanks He so richly deserves.  He was patient, leading me by the hand even when I wasn’t aware of it.  As bull-headed as I was, it took far too long for me to acknowledge all that He has done for me, and I will regret my delay for the rest of my life.

   Now that I know better, now that I’ve given my life to Him and want to serve Him in all that I do, the blessings of the past are more evident to me.  And even though I was remiss in not seeing them before, He still overwhelms me with His great love and blessings.

   I have no idea how much longer He will allow me to remain in this world, but I want to spend all of it giving all glory, praise, and thanks to Him.  And I promise, dear Lord, that I will cherish with all my heart, the blessings  you continue to give me.  There are no words to express such gratitude, so I give Him my heart, my soul, and my love.

 

   “Now that I know that I’ve needed you so, help me Jesus, my soul’s in your hand.” (Why Me Lord)  

 All In God’s Time 

   “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved: with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” (2 Peter 3: 8) 

   Time is a human construct; it is not of God.  God is eternal and time has no meaning in eternity.  In God’s eyes all is now regardless of our calendars and day planners.

   Sometimes the things we dread and wish we could put off happen far too quickly in our estimation.  At other times things we greatly desire seem to take forever.  While we may never know what it is in this lifetime, there is a purpose to God’s plan,  All we can do by questioning it is to create anxiety and frustration within us.

   And yet we are sometimes blessed to experience the plan of God for us in such a way that there can be no doubt about the timing or the truth that God’s will is at work within us.  In my mind, those times fall into the category of miracles.

   St. Paul reminds that, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2: 9).  That phrase often seems to speak to all that awaits us not in this life, but in the life to come.  But I am convinced that it can also apply to the joys and blessings that God has in store for us in this life as well.