Better than I want!

At times we act on ourselves and claim inner peace and in a certain position, we convince ourselves that our decisions are correct, we turn around to find all that indicates the soundness of our position so as to support those positions even with the simplest things. Sometimes we ask God for a specific signal and take any sign to explain it to our mood!

Once, a friend asked to meet me, she was complaining about her life and talked to me about the difficulties she was facing in the relationships with people around her and how she was directing them in their lives. Yet those people let her down and caused her much harm. Gradually, she discovered that the problem is not in those around her but is spiritual and is mainly caused by fear. Yes, sometimes we think that the reason behind our problem is caused by others, but when we ask ourselves how much we live in tension with those around us, then we understand that the problem is within us.

Internal peace is fundamental to life and is linked to freedom. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Gal 5:1. God gave us this freedom and through it I do what I want, God does what he wants and others do as they like. You are not in this world to live like a doll letting whomever drive you. Our encounter with God is not a coincidence, it is in exchange for a great effort and direction to know God, to live freedom and as children of God. Here, the question remains how to live this freedom and start to meet Jesus and others, it is the truth that we are searching for: God, my neighbor and myself.

Some of us are afraid to answer these questions and some give them a different form or color, but we have to know that God searches for us and our happiness through the single word – love, death is not the end of life but it is to stop to love, we think that the separation from life is death but the fact is if we are living without love then it is the real death because you assume that you are alive when you are dead. If I had all the treasures of the earth and I do not live love then I am like a hollow drum, the meaning of life can stem from the sincere commitment with God and with others. You wonder, what am I getting from life? What am I looking for?

The crucial decision is based on giving. The cross in my life is to live tenderly. When we associate that with those we love, it becomes rosier. But when we reject this cross, we are piddling with freedom and we chase the escape, here, we return to no peace, to fear, why?

The irony here is that God puts people and signs in our lives to point to the road, but some open to maturity and others run away and some say that it is more than the energy I can take or better than what I want! What is ironic here is that God understands our needs and knows the best ways for us or the best people, and he is able to put in place what is appropriate. Yes, appropriate, yet true self-sufficiency and self-fulfillment is the meaning of maturity. As far as I am trying to proof maturity is key, sometimes God puts in our lives less mature or more hesitant people, we do everything we can to explain to them the way of truth, but when they insist on their own ways or reject our advice we should not grieve or despair, but let God complete what he started. This invites us to surrender to him in life through faith.

This is called the power of faith and without hesitation Here we remember the scene of Peter in three positions in the ship, in the Gospel of (Mark 4: 35-41) When Jesus is asked to calm down the storm. In (Luke 22:39-63) when Peter was frightened and cuts off the soldier’s ear in the olive grove. In (Luke 22: 55-65), finally the most prominent scene of Peter’s denial of Jesus, then crying and returning to the bosom of the Father. In other words, fear and suspicion dominated Peter; he lost control and sinned, and this is what happens to us if we do not focus on Jesus’ eyes until we walk with him on the water without drowning.

Let us pray together,

O God, most compassionate and sympathetic, who descended from on high for the salvation of men, we pray for the hearts of those who are hesitant to give their hearts and minds to you, we pray to those of frightened hearts to give them strength and we pray in order to give us the ability to distinguish, live and bear the cross, to be a message of love for people and make them see you as a living testimony in us.

In Jesus name, Amen.
Author: Tomeh Jbara