Sometime last year I received a message from someone I guide spiritually. The message read: “Father if God does not change my situation I will stop serving him!” Another young man once said to me: “I stopped believing God exists because if He truly does He wouldn’t have allowed my parents die on same day in a ghastly motor accident.” These are the experiences of others, I know you have your own case against God. We all make cases against God when we face challenges that overwhelm us and in despair we say “this life is not balanced.” We doubt sometimes His infinite goodness, mercies, and sometimes His existence! This is not strange, but can you sustain your charge against God? Do you think God is unfair with you? You may be right. Just read slowly as we go into the tribunal.
Philippians 4:6-9
There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.
WATCH THIS TEACHING (IN ITALIAN)
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. Have you noticed that it is easier to console others when they pass through difficult moments but difficult to console oneself in such situations? It is easier to remind others of God’s promises in times of difficulty but difficult to remember these promises when we go through difficult moments. It is easier to complain, worry and ask God, why me? Why did you allow this or that to happen? But difficult to pray and wait on God in hope.
2. God has given us the key for ANY NEED: ask for it in Prayer and Thanksgiving, instead we accuse him! Through PRAYER we exercise our desires, our longings, and express our sorrows, pains, griefs, disappointments, sicknesses, fears, etc; while through THANKSGIVING we express joyful remembrance for the good the Lord has done! But how many remember the “good times” with the Lord? We often remember only the bad times and then complain.
3. For this reason we cannot sustain our charges against God! Yes we can’t, because He has given us everything! He has given us the keys to unlock or lock any situation but we have not made use of these keys and complain. In reply to our complains the Lord asks: My people what have I done to you, How have I offended you? Answer me (Micah 6:3). Today God makes charges against us for our wrong accusations: He says in Isaiah 5:1-7:
“I ask you to judge between my vineyard [You] and me. What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead? Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard…”
3. I hear someone claim: but I pray and believe God’s word! But the Lord asks you, how do you pray? Do you pray with heavy hearts of unforgiveness, do you fill your hearts with TRUE desires and not some superficial and unrealistic fantasies? On this many who pray for life partners or success are guilty, they pursue fantasies and not true realities! Do you seek NOBLE things with your heart? For instance, some pray to have life partner but they are into many sexually committed relationships or keep many relationships without any commitments. Do you fill your heart with GOOD and PURE thoughts? Not thoughts of deceit, lies, thoughts to cheat, defame, or disparage others. Does your thoughts spring from LOVE? Do you pursue VIRTUE and grow in GRACE or you are only concerned about beautifying the body at the expense of the beauty of the soul? These are evaluative questions to ponder on before we accuse God.
God has done much for you and wants you to bear fruits! Do you even know this? Stop feeling cheated because you face challenges, get up from your slumber and Pray to him and change that situation for your good.
TASK: Ask yourself: what shall I offer to the Lord to make him happy? What shall I offer to please him? Now read Micah 6:6-8 and hear the Lord’s response: he says only “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” is needed. May the lord help us live this out. AMEN.
© Fr. SimOne Madu, OSJ
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Muitas vezes peço um amor verdadeiro, mas uso das vaidades para atrair 'relacionamentos ilusórios'e momentaneamente sexuais.
Esta leitura me abriu os olhos, percebo que Deus me quer um católico cristão que o sirva, com amor, gratidão para que ELE me dê o que me é necessário, sem vaidades sujas e totalmente mundanas e passageiras.
Grazie Padre!!!
This is very rich and thoughtful. You're really doing well Fr. I really wish to connect with you, even if it's only in reading your academic works and reflections. Thanks immensely and More of God Grace. Happy Sunday. Cheers
Thanks for reading and and your sincere reviews. God bless you. To connect with me is easy, I am on popular social media sites. For my academic works follow me on my pages on Google Scholar search with my name or simple follow me on Academia.edu: https://urbaniana.academia.edu/Simone
There you will see some of my academic works
Ringrazie a Dio per la tua vita! Dio ti vuole di tornare a Lui e sono felice hai trovato questa Parola che portarti la Pontenza da Dio per fare cosi. Dio ti benedica cara! Se vuoi auitare non dimentica di chiamarmi.
This is TRUE. Thanks padre for this prayer reflection. May God continue to strengthen and bless you, amen.
Tnks fr! This is clear and encouraging…
Thanks for your teachings it really bringing me closer to my faith as a Christian
God bless you. May the Rhema you encounter on every line of this ministration draw you closer to your divine favours, faith and greater experiences. AMEN
GOD BLESS YOU. Thanks for your sincere reviews.
God bless you my dear. And may God instill you with greater wisdom to understand his words. Amen
Good morning dear Fr, even me I have sometimes found myself in such situations before where I questioned God's existence, I have compared myself to people before, asking God if they're better than me, I have asked Him if those people serve Him better than I do. I have accused God of being a partial God. I have the same time questioned His love towards me.
But in all these, I have realized that God is not partial, that as for Love that He truly loves me, I have also realized that there are people I'm 💯 better than, there are people that wants to be like me. So today all I do is to give thanks to God for my life, I give Him thanks no matter what I happens, instead of giving up in serving Him, I encourage people.
More grace Fr.
Good morning dear Fr, even me I have sometimes found myself in such situations before where I questioned God's existence, I have compared myself to people before, asking God if they're better than me, I have asked Him if those people serve Him better than I do. I have accused God of being a partial God. I have the same time questioned His love towards me.
But in all these, I have realized that God is not partial, that as for Love that He truly loves me, I have also realized that there are people I'm �� better than, there are people that wants to be like me. So today all I do is to give thanks to God for my life, I give Him thanks no matter what I happens, instead of giving up in serving Him, I encourage people.
More grace Padre.
Oluchi Olivia.
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Thanks dear for your sincere reviews. Your experience attests to the reality of our relationship with God. The more we go closer to God the more we realize ourselves and understand our moments of crises not as hatred or abandonment from God but a way of growth in wisdom, knowledge and grace.