Showing all posts in 3 Minutes for God the Father

“He who minds neither praise nor blame possesses great peace of heart and, if his conscience is good, he will easily be contented and at peace.” (Thomas a Kempis)

In the passage above, Thomas a Kempis addresses what can confuse us and how we can easily lose our peace of mind. We must learn to handle praise. Certainly, genuine praise is uplifting. Yet spiritual teachers warn us of the danger that, when we receive praise, our focus may increasingly turn inward toward ourselves. Following such a path can lead to a growing lack of freedom. This occurs when we, so to speak, “build ourselves up” with this praise and even begin to derive our inner worth from it. But this would make us dependent on other people, and as a result we may find ourselves seeking their praise and even feeling disappointed when it is not given. Our heart is no longer undividedly focused on God, from whom true peace comes. We have forgotten to attribute all praise to the Lord and have, so to speak, claimed it for ourselves.

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“I have nothing to give but what you yourself have given me!” (St Catherine of Siena).

How true and liberating these simple words are! They lift the veil under which we humans often find ourselves, striving to be or appear to be something. Society certainly places such demands on us, and we feel we must live up to them. And yet: Is it not an illusion to rely solely on ourselves in doing so? When we forget where everything comes from? Is it not a form of blindness to fail to recognise the source — our divine Father, from whom everything comes?

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“Wait a little while longer and do your works. I am your reward!” (Inner Word)

Our life is short, and to use it for both this time and eternity is the highest wisdom. Deep down, many people probably long to fulfill their purpose on earth. If they have not yet encountered God, their professional duties help them move meaningfully within the natural order intended for them. However, their perspective changes upon encountering God. They come to understand that the natural orders originate from God and that carefully fulfilling them pleases and honors Him. Yet one’s perspective opens up even further, for with this realization, one begins to understand one’s service in daily life as a contribution to building the Kingdom of God on earth. Consequently, one carries out everything ever more consciously for the glory of God!

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“If you are ready to receive me, I will come very close to you” (Little Book of the Father).

It is a promise from our Heavenly Father, and whether or not it is fulfilled depends on us. We know what God means: we must let God into our hearts and offer Him a home so that our Heavenly Father can dwell there always. If our Father has pitched His tent and we never turn away from Him but nurture this holy love, then the Lord will draw very near to us.

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“Whoever receives the faith is also called to share it. The light of the Lord, which shines into our darkness, is the light for the world. We owe this to all our fellow human beings.” (St. John Paul II)

So spoke Pope John Paul II, calling on all people to proclaim the Gospel. In doing so, he fulfilled his mission as Pope.

Nothing is closer to our heavenly Father’s heart than this. For this purpose, He sent His Son.

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“People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered—love them anyway. When you do good, they’ll accuse you of selfish and ulterior motives—do good anyway. If you are successful, you will gain false friends and real enemies—be successful anyway. The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow—do good anyway. What you have built up over years of work can be destroyed overnight—build anyway. Your help is truly needed, but people may attack you when you help them—help them anyway.” (Mother Teresa)

Clearly, St. Mother Teresa both discovered and practiced in her life the way God our Heavenly Father loves people, for He causes the sun to rise on the good and the evil alike.

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“The Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Prov. 3:26)

Without a doubt, there are dangerous snares along our path of following Christ. And there are quite a few that the Lord allows in order to test us. The repeated exhortation to be vigilant is not given in vain, for there are many temptations that seek to lead us astray from the straight path.

Vigilance should not be confused with mistrust. Vigilance recognizes evil and teaches us how to deal with it, while mistrust sees evil everywhere and feels constantly threatened. Vigilance is also incompatible with a certain naivety that fails to properly assess the surrounding situation and feels emotionally secure simply because it does not even perceive the dangers that threaten it.

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“People should be close to me and share in my wisdom.” (Inner Word)

This is what our gracious Father has planned for us: a life of intimacy, natural love, and security. At the same time, it is a call to take our place in the Kingdom of God—the place our Father intended for us.

Under the circumstances of this world separated from God, under the oppression of Satan—who begrudges humanity this closeness to God and the wisdom that comes with it and fights against it—this also means struggle. God allows us to face this struggle, and on this path we can demonstrate our love and faithfulness to Him, thus responding to His love. In union with His Son, victory is certain. Yet this struggle is intended only for the time we spend on earth.

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5–6)

Once again, the Book of Proverbs warns us not to rely primarily on our own abilities. This also applies to wisdom, the great natural gift that the Lord bestows upon us. However, it should not be the guiding principle of our lives. That would indeed be foolish, for it is a limited, created gift and requires the supernatural light of God to discern things in their depth. This is why the Lord invites us to trust in Him with “all our heart.” God is the true rock upon which our lives are built—the One who never wavers. If we take this to heart, our natural abilities will be used by God and take their rightful place. The proper order will be established.

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“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” (Prov. 3:7)

How foolish to pride oneself on one’s gifts and thereby elevate oneself above others. What have we not received from our Father? Even if we have contributed through diligence and study, everything has still been given to us by God.

It is a simple realization, yet crucial to the fundamental attitude of our lives: if we attribute everything to God and express this accordingly, divine wisdom will take root in our souls. The honor and praise of God come first for us. We will therefore be careful not to put ourselves in the spotlight or view ourselves with vanity.

The fear of God at work within us—as a gift of the Spirit—will ensure that we do not seek to rob our heavenly Father of His glory before others. This can happen easily, and we may not even realize it. Yet whenever it happens and we fail to establish, at least inwardly, a grateful connection with God, we obscure the truth instead of giving glory to the One to whom it is due.

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