Wonderful Christian Life

        We can take advantage of every life situation to get close to God. Each situation provides us with opportunities to love, obey, honor, and glorify God, storing up treasures in heaven, and to shine as light of the world, drawing others to Christ. What wonderful living! How blessed are we to be able to serve God and enter heaven later! To make the most of our Christian life, aim for total union with God. 

Obedience and Peace

        After over nine weeks, my cough still hasn't completely left me. My doctor finally prescribed an antibiotic for me to take. Knowing that I am in God's hands no matter what, I see no point in worrying or projecting what might happen to me, and I remain peaceful. Rebelling against God always robs one of inner peace. Obedience (trust in this case) and peace go hand in hand with each other.

The Adoption Process

        Jesus looms large, challenging us to decide if he is true God or not. Once we believe that he is, we are challenged to decide if we are willing to surrender to him completely or not. To me, these are invigorating challenges, tests to meet in the adoption process of becoming sons and daughters of God the Father.

God, Our Standard

        What's beautiful to us may repel God, and what's pleasing to God may not attract us. But we can be sure that what's beautiful to God must be the truly beautiful and what's ugly to him, the truly ugly.

How to Overcome Sin

        The best way to overcome sin is to surrender to Christ. As a matter of fact, it is the only way!

Why We Need God

        Today's Communion experience. After receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I knew that God is the only one who can make us holy.

A Useful Tip

        I was with someone who I felt was somewhat stuffy and snobbish and disagreed with his view on a certain matter, and I aired my contrary view. As a result, the disagreement got a little heated. Later I saw my mistake this way. Probably most of us have heard the saying "Hate the sin and not the sinner." Applying this in my case, I should have made the distinction between a person's attitude and the person. It's so easy to identify the view expressed by the person with the person. Keeping this in mind, I would have had a civilized discussion or exchange without getting emotional. This tip should also prove useful in any evangelization effort.  

Following God's Will Clarified

        It doesn't mean that we sit around and do nothing, waiting for some special sign from God. On the contrary, we remain alert and active, always acting sensibly, prayerfully, and without ego. This last italicized condition distinguishes "following God's will." 

Finding a Shepherd

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 6, when Jesus saw the vast crowd following him, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. My last post can relate to this. Choosing to follow our own passion is choosing to remain lost without a shepherd to guide us, while choosing to follow God's will is choosing to follow Christ as our shepherd, who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14.6).  

Choosing Your Path

        In essence there are just two paths to take in life: follow your own passion or follow the will of God. The general advice your get today is that if you feel like doing something, then go for it. This may be exciting, but your path will not be smooth because you may have veered from God's plan for you. In the end, you are not any closer to God. On the other hand, if you follow God's will, never rushing ahead on your own, you lose all anxieties of life and enjoy peace. It may seem that you are not going anywhere, but you are with God every step of the way. These two different paths are exciting in their own way, but they lead to completely different ends.