Discernment: In today’s
first reading, Ephesians 1: 11-14, Paul again reminds us that we are God’s
possession, “chosen, destined in accord
with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention
of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory….[I]n Christ],…[we] were sealed with the promised
Holy Spirit,…the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption [and
sanctification] as God’s possession.”
How do you and I discern whether or not we are accomplishing
this purpose? How do we know whether or not we are, by our thoughts and
actions, glorifying God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier? God, we know, has given us a free will to achieve
our destiny. It is not a given in the sense that we are God’s robots. No,
freely we choose to act in accord with God’s intentions or we simply walk away
and do our own thing, so to speak. We
may choose our own intentions and ignore the promptings of the Spirit, nudging
us to do this or that, to not to such and such. It is our choice to realize our
destiny of glorifying God, living in peace, in love, in concordance with the
will of the Trinity!
If what I choose is what God intends, there is a sense of harmony within me! Otherwise I
feel discord or conflicted. When I surrender to God’s will, that surrender
deepens my sense of wholeness, solidifies my faith and trust in the Lord and in
myself.
It is important to take time to look within: only then will you know whether or not you are living according to the will of God. Many people keep themselves extremely busy and do not take time to reflect upon what is going on inside of them. They avoid solitude and numb out in a variety of ways: perpetual busyness, drugs, overeating--whatever numbs their feelings!
Red lights while driving, long waits in line, etc. are reminders for me to stop and check my inner disposition. It helps to do a quick self-check on what I'm doing and why. Also, I rarely feel distressed during these occasions as I think of them as opportunities.
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