surrendersacrifice asked:
INTRODUCTION
We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and have his spirit imprinted on our heart (Ezekiel 36:27). Therefore, we will find peace only when our spirit resonates in unison with His spirit and we live a life that is attuned to His life. On the other hand, when we do not live His life or are not in unison with Him, we are like fish out of water; because, then, we are not what we are created to be. This suffocates our spirit and causes turmoil in our heart. In this website, therefore, an attempt has been made to understand who God is and how we can live His life.
Understand God
God is Spirit (John 4:24) and love (1 John 4; 7-12). He is a kind, merciful, all forgiving, generous and loving father who created us in his own image (Genesis 1:27). When we were unfaithful to Him by rejecting His friendship and choosing a life of sin and destruction He did not abandon us. On the contrary, in His Divine Mercy He humbled Himself to take a human form, taught us the truth about His love by His words and actions and emptied self completely on our behalf by dying on the cross. Because selfishness is the cause of all sins, by freeing us from selfishness He frees us from sin. Because sin is the cause of death, by freeing us from sin He brings us eternal life. Furthermore, He sent His own Spirit (the Holy Spirit) into the world and feeds us with His own sacrificial body and blood (in the form of bread and wine) to strengthen and nourish our Spirit. When the above facts become reality to us we know how much He loves us. This propels us to trust and follow Him. Trust in Him gives us a sense of security; and following His ways, which is a life of selfless service to others, frees us from anxiety, hate, jealousy, greed and lust.
Following Jesus
By His example and words Jesus taught us what His life is all about. He taught us to go out of our way and give of our self completely to love and serve others, including, those who hurt and offend us. He showed us to (Luke 6:27-35) love our enemies, do good deeds to those who **** us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us. If anyone slaps us on one cheek, we must let him hit the other one too. We must lend expecting nothing back. We must give to everyone who asks for something. Even when there is unfaithfulness (Hosea 3:1) we must not divorce our spouse (Mark 10:11-12) and be merciful, just as our Father is merciful (Luke 6: 35-36). If someone takes us to court to sue us for our shirt, we must let him have our coat as well. We must walk an additional mile if the occupation forces ask us to carry their pack for one mile (Matt 5; 39-41).
Worship God
In order to love God we must worship Him. To worship God is to offer our entire life as a sacrifice to Him. As sinners we are incapable of making this sacrificial offering. However, Jesus, who is pure and sinless, made a perfect sacrifice of His life to the Father on our behalf and allows us to join and reenter His sacrifice by sharing with us His sacrificial body in the form of bread and His sacrificial blood of the new and eternal covenant in the form of wine (Matthew 26:26-28). We join in His sacrifice by bringing our humble and contrite heart to Him and dedicating our lives to love and serve others.
Discern God’s will
In order to follow God we must discern His will. Many a times we have problems in discerning God’s will. We try to analyze the situation in detail to find out what is according to God’ will. Generally, we come back disappointed, because we are never sure about God’s will. We can, however, follow the following general rule in discerning God’s will. First of all we must be humble and exercise unconditional love. Our decisions must be morally sound, must not deviate from the teachings of the Church and must not have the slightest element of selfishness or ****. Furthermore, we should do what we think is right but in our heart ask God to do what ever He desires to do through us. In this way if we are wrong in our thinking we still allow God to take control of our life and steer us on the right path.
Humility enables us to discern God’s will. In order to develop humility we must spend quiet time in prayer to meditate on the greatness of God and our dependence on Him. We must also ask God for the gift of humility. Furthermore, in order to realize our frailty we must constantly remind our self of the uncertainties in life. In addition, we must realize that our wisdom and power are nothing compared to those of God’s. We must also realize that our power can end at any moment due illness, serious bodily injury or other events in life.
Trust God
God so loved us that He not only made us in His own divine image but also sacrificed His life in order to save us from sin. Furthermore, He is also infinitely wise and resourceful. We can, therefore, always trust Him to do what is best for us. When we trust Him we accept His decisions unconditionally. This allows Him to help us. On the other hand when we want to be our own god by wanting our own way we refuse His help.
When we do not get what we ask for or receive the opposite of what we asked for, we doubt God’s ability or desire to help us. However, God always answers our prayers. He answers them in such a manner, that, in the long run it will make us a people with greater faith and love. Therefore, He may not give us exactly what we asked for, or He may delay granting our petition, or may even allow tragedy to come upon us (like He did to Job). Furthermore, we should remember, that he has already given us the only gift we really need, namely, the ability to selflessly love others. This ability is the life of God. This is the only treasure that cannot be destroyed, not even by death. This is also the only treasure we take with us when we die. We should, therefore, trust God, accept God’s will without even knowing what it is and (in our heart) allow Him to do whatever He feels is right. When we distrust his plan and want only our own plan, we reject his help.
Many people lose faith in God when they see evil and natural disasters in the World. They feel that, if God is really present or really loves us, He will not allow evil. This feeling becomes even stronger, when they see children and innocent people suffer. However, it is not God, but our sins, that produce evils in the world. Sin results from selfishness and selfishness causes hurt to others. Even natural disasters, which some people erroneously refer to as “acts of God”, are result of our sins. Since we have dominion over the World (Genesis 1: 27-28), our acts of selfishness affect the balance in nature. So that when we sin by going against nature, the balance in nature is disturbed to produce natural disasters and diseases. Similarly, our evil acts directly affect others and cause them hurt. The hurt that evil produces affects everyone; including those who live holy lives. God allows evil, because, He has given us free will. He has given us free will so that we can exercise unconditional love. If we did not have free will, we will never be able to love others unconditionally, because, to love is a choice, and every choice needs a free will. God wants us to love (John 13:34), because, he wants us to have His peace and joy (John 15:11) for all eternity. Furthermore, compared to the peace and joy that God gives us in the eternal life our hurts in the present life are nothing.
Forgive others
To forgive is not only to give up claim or resentment we have against our offenders but also to bring them healing. For example, if someone insults us we feel that our pride is taken away. To forgive in such a situation, is to sacrifice (give up) our pride and reach out to that person in love, in order to bring healing to that person. The best example of forgiveness is when God took a human form and came into this world to heal human beings who had betrayed Him and were unfaithful to Him (Luke 5:32). He forgave His executioners (Luke 23:34) and sacrificed His life so that they may have eternal life. He thus showed us that, love and forgiveness are the only positive responses to ****.
Most of us have great difficulty in forgiving others, although we know that it is the right thing to do. In such a situation we must first remember that we need to forgive others, because, we ourselves are sinners and that God forgave us by dying on the cross. We must meditate on the passion of Christ and at each stage remember the suffering He bore to bring us forgiveness. We must make our desire to forgive others strong by our prayers and sacrifices. We must be still, know that God is God and surrender our will to Him by saying “I love you Jesus, may your will be done”.
Betrayal is a common occurrence in human relationship, because, we are sinners. Betrayals can take many forms; however, we, especially feel betrayed when someone we really love or someone we have helped betrays us. We must realize that we can not change others; we can only change our self. We, therefore, have to make sure that we do not betray others; even if they have betrayed us. Although, it is natural that we have to cautiously deal with such people, we should continue to love them just as God continues to love us although we have betrayed Him.
Avoid war
War kills human beings, breaks families, destroys property, and displaces people. Furthermore, war generates brutality, deception, treachery, hate, tyranny and violence. War is, therefore, evil. Unfortunately, war is often glorified and many well-meaning people risk their lives to enter into war. People often justify war as necessary evil, in order to obtain peace and freedom. Although, war may result in a period of peace and freedom, it generates **** that lasts for generations to come, because, it has the above-mentioned evils. Furthermore, when we justify war, it reinforces our belief that some problems can only be solved by violence, because, peaceful methods don’t always work. This makes us believers in violence to solve our problems, and thus creates a violent society. When we believe that war is sometimes necessary, because, love does not always work, it means that we believe that God (who is love) is sometimes not effective. In other words, we do not truly believe in God. In addition, war also divides the world and creates **** among human beings. It, therefore, can never bring us permanent peace.
Jesus came into this World to eradicate evil. Many people thought that he would do this by fighting a war against the Romans, who unjustly had occupied their land and terrorized them. He on the other hand, told them to love their enemies, do good to those who **** them, bless those who curse them, pray for those who mistreat them, forgive others unceasingly and go an additional mile if the occupation forces ask them to walk one (Luke 6:27-28). Furthermore, He taught that those who use the sword would perish by it (Matt. 26: 52). He sacrificed His life to eradicate the occupation of evil in our heart. He, therefore, used love, and not war, to eradicate evil. To most people this teaching is utter stupidity. However, early Christians believed in it and showed others what true love is by following these teachings. They, therefore, did not fight the Roman with swords. Instead, they lived holy and peaceful life which attracted many to Christianity in spite of severe persecution of the Christians by the Romans.
As long as we do not perpetuate evil by using evil methods, evil will destroy itself. We should, therefore, not get impatient and loose faith in the power of love to overcome evil. We should know that the power of love is infinitely greater than the power of evil, because, God is love. When we try to destroy evil governments by the evil method of war, we increase evil in the world. On the other hand when we change these governments by love, we eliminate evil. We should, therefore, not rely on war and our power; rather, we should rely on the spirit of God, which is love (Zech. 4:6). The peace that results from love is lasting, because, it is produced by changing hearts; while the peace that comes from war is temporary, because it is produced by force.
Evil can only be overcome by the love (Romans 12:21; Ephesians 6:10-20). Therefore, only the love can break the cycle of **** and revenge, and stop terrorism. In order to stop terrorism, therefore, those who are reborn in Christ, like Christ, must impart Christ’s love to the terrorist. We can do this only by showing them Christ’s sacrificial love in our acts (Matthew 5:16). This can be done by having a friendly dialogue with them. During such dialogues show honest concern for their concerns; try to solve differences through negotiations in which we are generous to them; and provide them with humanitarian help (without any string attached). This will build trust between the two sides. Then, it will be possible to negotiate a just solution for problems that separate us from them. A just solution, therefore, would be to give more to the other side than they demand (Luke 6:29-30), and demand less for one’s own side. Such an attitude will further increase the trust between the two sides and bring peace. Furthermore, in the long run both sides will gain; because, absence of war will bring major savings of life and resources. The solution outlined herein, may not sound very practical, especially if there is centuries of animosity and bloodshed. However, because God is love, we must never underestimate the power of love.
Do not compete
Some people may say that certain types of competitions are healthy, because, they increase our skills or encourage team spirit. However, the fact remains that in competitions we put our selves or our own team’s interest ahead of others. This is contrary to Christian teachings. Jesus tells us to be servants of others (Mark 10:44), instead of putting ourselves ahead of others. He also tells us that we should seek the Kingdom of God, rather than worry about our food or clothing (Matt 6: 31-34). The early Christians followed these teachings and (Acts 4:34, 35) shared all their belonging with others, so that no one lacked their basic needs. Furthermore, if we truly love others, we will excel in our work, because, we would want to do the very best for others.
Jesus tells us that the last shall be first and the first shall be last (Mark 9:35). He also tells us that whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:4). Paul tells us to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, and honor and esteem others above our selves; and look for others’ interest rather than our own (Gal. 6:4 & Phil 2:3-4). He also tells us to keep away from strife (Phi.2: 3; Rom. 13:13; 1Cor. 3:3; Gal 5:20, 21); which is opposing, battling or competing with others. In competition we put our interest ahead of others. This makes us selfish. Selfishness takes away peace from our heart by distancing our self from God. Furthermore, when we win, we become proud, arrogant and self centered; and when we loose we become jealous, angry, revengeful and hateful. All of these lead us to turmoil in our heart and destruction of spirit (Pro. 16:18).
Respect Human life
Human life is precious, because, God has put His spirit in us. This makes us temples of His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). Every human life, therefore, must be respected. Furthermore, no one has the right over another human being’s life, because, God alone is the author of human life. Unfortunately, human life is violated in many ways in our society. They include: abortion, capital punishment and euthanasia.
It is estimated that approximately 10-15 million human lives are destroyed each year in the world by abortion. It is the worst form of terrorist activity; and a disgrace to any nation that allows it, for the following reasons: 1) it is killing more human beings than any other form of terrorism or war; 2) it is aimed at helpless innocent unborn babies; 3) the mothers (who are supposed to protect the babies) are the initiators of the killing process; and 4) the doctors, who are supposed to save lives, do the killing. In this form of terrorism, therefore, the victim’s family and the medical team are the terrorists. Furthermore, abortion is also the worst form of betrayal, because, a mother betrays her innocent baby by having it killed.
Some people justify abortion, because, they feel that a fetus is not a human being. However, irrespective of the different arguments people have for or against to prove that fetuses or human embryos are human beings, no one can deny the fact that abortion is destruction of a genetically distinct human life. In addition, since a large number of people feel that a fetus or an embryo is a human being, it is our duty to protect them (even if we do not consider them as human beings), because, if the others are correct, then, destroying a fetus or embryo is murder. If a group of people went hunting, and half of them see an animal in the distant and want to shoot it, but the other half think it is a human being, the benefit of the doubt has to be in favor of it being a human being. The same logic also applies to abortion.
Some people realize that abortion is wrong; however, they do not want to force their belief on others. However, protecting the life of innocent human beings is our civic duty, and has nothing to do with our belief. We have laws against murder, although it is a religious belief that murder is wrong. In this case we don’t say that we are imposing our belief on others. Others argue that a woman has a right to choose to not have a baby. However, when a woman becomes pregnant, she already has the baby in the womb; therefore, the question about her right with respect to that pregnancy is not an issue.
Some people justify abortion, because the mother’s health or life is in danger. However, since every human life is equally precious, one cannot take the life of one human being to save another. Therefore, every effort has to be made to treat both human beings with the best available methods. Still others feel that women should have the right to their own bodies. However, a fetus is not part of its mother’s body, because, it is a distinct living human entity with its own unique genetic make up that is different from the mother’s. We do not have right to kill our children who live in the privacy of our house. Similarly, the mother does not have a right to kill her baby that lives in the privacy of her body. Still others argue that, by legalizing abortion, abortion is made safe for the mother. We, however, do not legalize other violent crimes in order prevent injury to the criminal or innocent bystanders.
Human life begins as a tiny little cell. This cell has a genetic makeup, which is the blue print to that individual’s entire life, and it is unique to that person. This cell also triggers a reaction, through which, successive generations of cells multiply to accomplish the plan set forth in the blue print. The blue print contained in this cell shapes our body, mind and spirit. It determines our looks; color of our eyes and hair; our personality and behavior; our talents in sports, music, literature, science, mathematics and other fields of learning; our ability to love and forgive others; our desire for freedom and self determination; our aging process and all other aspects of our life. In short, this little cell has that person’s entire humanity and abilities within it. Therefore, to destroy this humanity at single cell stage or any subsequent stage of its development grossly violates his/her human rights.
Capital punishment is a punishment, in which human beings are condemned to die. The usual crime, for which this punishment is given, is murder. This form of punishment is usually chosen to deter others from committing this crime and to make criminals pay back for the crime they committed by their own life. Because, this form of punishment involves killing human beings, in imposing this punishment the society performs the same violent act it is trying to deter. In addition, it teaches the society that violent methods are sometimes acceptable. This increases violence in the society. Furthermore, since God is the author of all life, no one has the right or authority to kill another human being.
The purpose for punishment is to help others to change for the better and never for condemnation or revenge. When we impose life-taking punishment, it is condemnation; and it does not give the convict a chance to change. It teaches the society that some people are beyond hope. Since all of us have had **** (for another human being) in our heart at one time or the other, and **** for another human being is similar to murder (1John3: 14-18), we ourselves are guilty of a crime similar to murder. How then, can we condemn another human being? In the old days, when it was not possible to securely imprison violent criminals, capital punishment was accepted as a form of self-defense for the society. However, nowadays, when it is possible to securely isolate violent criminals from the society, there is absolutely no justification for capital punishment.
Euthanasia and ******* are also acts of violence, because, they destroy human lives. They, therefore, cannot bring peace. Some people choose them, because, they feel hopeless or want to end their pain and suffering. However, irrespective of how bad our situation is, we can always find hope, because, God loves us; and there is no greater joy, than to be loved by God. Because of this, even in the midst of pain and suffering we can rejoice, and know that as long as we allow God to be in our heart, in the end, we will be free of all pain and suffering. Furthermore, we can give our pain and suffering redemptive value by quietly accepting it as a sacrifice on behalf of others, so that the humility this sacrifice generates in us opens our heart to accept God’s graces for us and those dear to us. Pain and suffering accepted in this spirit brings us endurance, endurance brings us virtue and virtue brings us hope. Many people feel that to live with pain, suffering and severe disabilities is undignified. However, our true dignity comes from God’s love for us, and His life in us; and not from our social, economic or health status. Furthermore, human beings who are terminally ill or totally disabled, are also contributors to the society, because, they bring out the spirit of love in the people who take care of them. This enriches the society by making it more compassionate and caring.
When a person is in coma, that person is still a person. We, therefore, must treat him/her the same way we would treat anyone else. To withhold nutrition or water or any other form of necessary care in order that he/she may die is a form of euthanasia. Similarly, when there is a reasonable chance for cure, to withhold treatment so that the person may die, thereby, avoid suffering that comes from the disease, would also be euthanasia.
Keep marriage holy
Marriage is a covenant of love between a man and a woman, in which each surrenders one self completely and unconditionally to the other to form a unit of life through procreative union. Furthermore, since God is love and marriage is a covenant of love peace in marriage is possible only when the couple is totally open to God’s will. They must, therefore, be totally open to receiving the gift of children that comes from God.
In order for a couple to form a unit of life they must have physiological union; because, life is physiological. The only function, in which two human beings can have physiological unions, is in reproductive (procreative) physiology. Furthermore, procreative union is only possible between a man and women; and both are essential to complete the cycle of reproductive physiology. Therefore, marriage is only possible between a man and a woman. Furthermore, since the physiological purpose of conjugal union is procreation, in order to make it an act of love the couple must leave their union totally open to procreation.
In marriage, spouses leave their parents and unite with each other (Mark 10:7) to become one flesh (Gen.2: 24). Because, it is a covenant of love, and God is love (1 John4:8), it is God who seals the marriage covenant; and no one can separate what God has joined together (Matt 19:6). In divorce, therefore, this covenant is not broken; it is rejected. God, therefore, hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and is not pleased with the offerings of those who divorce their spouse (Malachi 2: 13-14). Jesus tells us that before making offering to God, we must reconcile with those with whom we have grievances (Matt. 5: 23-24). Therefore, a divorced person must first reconcile with his/her spouse before making an offering to the Lord. Furthermore, a person divorced by his/her spouse must still stay faith to his/her spouse, just as God is faithful to us even when we reject Him (Hosea 3:1).
Sometimes, the stresses of marriage may seem unbearable, especially if our spouse is alcoholic, abusive, mentally ill or unfaithful. In such situations, we can stay faithful to our commitment; by remembering, how Jesus compensated for our wrong doing, when we were unfaithful to him and wronged him. We should continually pray and make sacrifices for the conversion of our spouse. In our prayers, we should surrender ourselves completely to God’s will, and ask Him to be our thoughts, feelings, desires and actions.
We are created in God’s divine image (Gen. 1:27) and our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1Cor.6: 19-20). Therefore, all actions of our bodies must conform to God’s design. God’s design for us is to use our bodies according to what they are created for. In other words, we must use each organ according to its physiological function. Therefore, the gastrointestinal system is for nutritive function; the respiratory system is for oxygenation of blood; and the reproductive system is for reproduction. Furthermore, reproductive function requires a male and a female; and each one complements the other to complete the reproductive union. This function can therefore take place only between a man and woman. Any other way is an aberration or a perversion.
When unmarried couples engage in conjugal act, it is selfish, because, they have not unconditionally surrendered their lives to each other by entering into marriage. Furthermore, they are abusing the act and their bodies, because, they are engaging in an act that unites lives without uniting their lives (in marriage). In addition, they are being totally irresponsible to the potential children that can result from their act, by not having a full family unit for them. Paul therefore tells us that adulterers and fornicators will not inherit Heaven (1 Cor. 6:9).
The very essence of human existence is love, because, we are created in the image of God (who is love) and are a product of God’s love expressed through our parents union of love. Conception, therefore, is the fruit of marital love. Artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and cloning procedures therefore, dehumanize human reproduction, by taking the act of unitive love out of it and converting it into a purely cellular process. This devalues the understanding of procreative love in marriage, thereby devaluing the meaning of marriage itself. This causes grave hurt to the institution of marriage which is the very foundation of society. Furthermore, unitive love, which is conjugal union in marriage, is inseparable from conception, because, conjugal union’s only physiological purpose is conception; and conjugal union and conception are different stages of reproductive process. Therefore, to have one without the other is to go against Love, who is God.
Contraceptive methods prevent pregnancy. They, therefore, frustrates the very purpose of reproductive physiology. It is similar to eating food, while putting a barrier in the stomach so that the nutritive value of the food is eliminated. Those who use it, therefore, abuse their bodies. Furthermore, by going against the natural physiology, they are going against the creator of the physiology. They are also against life by preventing life. Contraception, therefore, makes conjugal union sterile or devoid of any life-giving element. It, therefore, degrades conjugal union in marriage from a sacrificial and holy act, to a sterile act. Furthermore, when *** is used only for fun, it makes those involved in the act objects to derive pleasure from. These factors result in decrease in respect the couple has for each other. This in turn leads to increase in divorce in the society. It is, therefore, no surprise that in the scriptures a contraceptive act was considered deadly in the eyes of God (Gen.38: 8-10).
Be just
Only God (who is love) is truly just (Matthew 19:17). Furthermore, only love fulfills the law (Roman 13: 10), because only true love is impartial. True justice, therefore, is love. To be just is to be fair, impartial, forgiving and generous. True justice is fair to all, including one’s opponent. Furthermore, it is not affected by time, place, person or situation. God reveals true justice to us in the New Testament. When we were unfaithful to Him and rejected His friendship, He did not give up on us, condemn us or take revenge. Instead, in His love, He compensated for our selfishness by emptying his life on our behalf and putting his life in us. Therefore, true justice does not condemn or sue others. On the contrary, it exercises mercy by forgiving others, and by sacrificing self, in order to help others to recover from their weaknesses. St. Paul teaches us that, the fact that we have legal disputes amongst us means that we have failed completely. He tells us that, it is better to be wronged and robbed, rather than to wrong or rob another person (1 Cor. 6:7).
True justice does not prefer one person’s right over another person’s right; rather, it makes sure that both sides are treated with love and dignity. It, therefore, helps both the offender and the victim, and does not fight or condemn the offender; does not ask back what has been borrowed; loves one’s enemies and prays for their happiness; gives without expecting anything in return; forgives others unceasingly; and keeps one’s good deeds secret (Matthew 5:38-42, Luke 6:27-38). True justice is merciful because mercy (which comes from God) is above all laws (James 2:13) and God demands mercy (Matt. 9:13). True justice therefore is never revengeful.
We often get upset, when others hurt us, because, we feel that by hurting us they have taken something away from us or have shown their superiority over us. Similarly, we get upset and jealous when someone else gets a better deal than us, because, we feel that we have lost something. However, our pride and things we possess are nothing, because they will cease to exist in eternity. In addition, when we have God’s love, which is infinitely more valuable than all the riches of the world, why should we worry about loosing anything else? We should, therefore, not take revenge. Besides, revenge leads to more revenge and hurt. It also deprives us peace and joy. We should, therefore, trust God (who is love) and solve our problems by love. God desires mercy, and not sacrifices or burnt offering (Matt 12:7). Mercy comes from love. Our goal, therefore, in every situation is to care for others.
Work for God
Every work of love is God’s (because God is love) and every work done with the sole intention of unconditionally serving others is a work of love. Therefore, irrespective of what our job is, if we work to unconditionally severe others, we are doing God’s work. We should, therefore, rejoice and have peace in knowing that God’s work is done through us. We should, therefore, be excited about our work, and go out of our way to do more than what we are asked to do. We may sometimes have authorities that are not very pleasant. However, we must respect them and obey them (as long as they do not ask us to do something that is wrong), because, if our work is God’s, then they are directing God’s work. If we take this attitude, we will get joy and peace from our work.
Works with selfish motives produce anxiety, because, they depend on self, and are directed to self. On the other hand, works of true love are free of anxiety; because, they depend on God, and not on self. We should, therefore, be calm, know that God is in charge, and accept in our heart whatever God wants to do through us without actually knowing what it is. If we take this attitude, we allow God to do what He feels is best for us. We should not worry if there is a waiting period, when nothing seems to happen. We may even have periods, when it seems like we have absolutely no contact with God, like we are in total darkness. God allows such periods of total darkness, because, he wants us to mature into trusting him completely. Such periods, therefore, are the most fertile periods in the life of our soul. In addition, they make us humble, by making us realize our dependence on God. Our humility, then allows God to work through us, because, when we are humble we tend to surrender to God’s will. Humility also enables us to appreciate God’s good deeds for us. We should not get anxious about the results of our works, because, if our works are truly good, they are God’s work, and not ours. The results of our works may be a total failure in the eyes of the World, and may not become evident in our lifetime. However, our fulfillment comes from accepting God’s will and letting Him work through us; and not from what people think or say about our works.
Though it is true that all workers deserve a just wage we should work primarily to severe others rather than to earn wages. If we take this attitude we will find joy and peace in serving others, even when our wages are unjust. Furthermore, by taking this attitude we are letting God to take control of our life. This enables God to help us to overcome many of our difficulties in life. Sometimes, we are upset, because, we are treated unfairly, or our boss or peers never appreciate our work. Here again, we should focus our attention on serving others, and realize that our true reward is to be able share in God’s life by serving others, and not by obtaining wages or appreciation.
Be a healer, not a victim
Self-pity is destructive to our mind and spirit, because, it leads to anxiety and depression. It also makes us sad, dejected, bitter, jealous, angry and revengeful. On the other hand when we think about the suffering of others and try to help them, rather than dwelling on our own suffering, we find peace When Jesus was carrying His cross, he was not concerned about His own suffering. He kissed the cross and carried it without demanding any pity, because, He was doing it out of love for us. Furthermore, when He met the women of Jerusalem He was concerned about the suffering that was to come upon them, rather than the suffering He was going through (Luke 23:27-29). Just before His death, instead of being concerned about His own suffering, He was concerned about those who were killing Him. He, therefore, told His Father to forgive them (Luke 23:34). We must, therefore, spend our life serving others without dwelling on our own sufferings. In other words, we must treat our self as healers rather than victims. This attitude will brings us peace and joy in the midst of our sufferings.
Pray
Prayer is very important for peace, because prayer brings us in communion with God. In this communion we let the spirit of God permeate our heart making His thoughts ours and His spirit ours. During prayer we express our thankfulness to God for the love He expresses for us; our contrition for the hurt we caused Him by our selfishness; and our confidence in Him in times of trouble.
In our prayers we must meditate on God’s love and forgiveness for us; which He expressed by dying on the cross in order to compensate for offenses we committed against Him. This should help us to bring love and forgiveness in our heart for those who offend us. Our prayer should also be a conversation with God, in which we make our joy, suffering and desire known to Him. It should also be a time of surrendering our will to God and accepting our total dependence on Him.
God is constantly speaking to our spirit. His voice is the strong desire in our heart to unconditionally love others and be merciful and forgiving towards them. His voice is also the sense of comfort and consolation within our heart in times of trouble. We often fail to hear Him because the noises of the world overtake our spirit. However, if we free our self of all distractions we will hear Him and feel His love.
