Clearly Catholic

Bringing Clarity to Uncertainty in Our Church

Tag: God’s Will

How God prepares you to live in His will.

January 20, 2023 /

After my wife’s nana passed away she left behind her house which was in rough shape. Nana was a hoarder. Every room was filled with stuff from the floor to the ceiling. Expensive antiques, mixed in with unopened items, mixed with trash. The walls had mold in them, the foundation was cracked in multiple places, and pipes were rusting in the basement. 

By Danny Muller from Unsplash.com

Without major renovations it took nearly 6 months to clean the house and make it safe to live in. The house was completely gutted for the new owners. The new owner transformed the inside of the home into a fresh, beautiful, livable place. From the outside it looks like the same house, but the inside is hardly recognizable. 

In the Bible, the author of Psalm 40 writes, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will…I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

My hope is that we all want to do what God has set us apart for. Since God is perfect love, his will for our lives is infinitely more fulfilling than our own will without God. 

However, if we truly want to live in God’s will, our souls, bodies, and minds have to be prepared to take on God’s will. In the same way nana’s house had to be gutted (or broken down) so that it can be prepared to house a new family (it’s new purpose), we too need to be broken down and purified in order to take on God’s will for our lives. And here’s the thing… God is not going to impose his will on you, you have to invite him into your life. 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Father God, Thank you for loving me. You do not desire to bring me hardship, but rather, you want to show us how you are still present in the midst of difficult times. Give me an open mind to live in your will for me. Your imprint is already on my heart. Bless me with peace to meditate on your presence within me. Inspire me with great news for my life. Bring peace and fulfillment to all who seek you. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

“What’s my purpose in life?” is the wrong question to ask.

January 12, 2023 /

One of the big questions people often struggle with is, “What is my purpose in life?”

Perhaps a better question to ask is, “What is my purpose in life right now?” 

Photo by Matt Walsh from Unsplash.com

In Matthew’s gospel Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. John’s baptism symbolized the start of Christ’s earthly ministry – what he was set apart for by God the Father. In Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus said to be set apart for different roles. For some Jesus was a sign of justice, for some Jews he was a sign of God’s covenant with their people, for others he was a light of hope during a period of oppression, and for some Jesus was a liberator from spiritual darkness. 

Throughout our lives God can set us apart for several different purposes. Even now, He may have different purposes for you. Your obvious calling now is to be a student and a son or daughter. Beyond your immediate vocation, God may call you to bring healing and hope into someone’s day. Tomorrow, God may set you aside for another purpose. And several other purposes as you grow older. 

God has created you to be gifted multidimensional people. There’s so much you have to offer to the world, don’t limit yourself to just one purpose or label. If there is one purpose that we all have it is this: To know God, to love God, and to serve him in this world and to be happy with him in this world and the next. In John’s gospel Jesus says, “I came so that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” In other words our dignity and purpose are found in a relationship with God. 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Heavenly Father, I thank You for loving me, even when I am undeserving of Your love. There are many voices in this world that seek my attention and try to lead me further from You with false promises. As my move through my day leads me to open my eyes to how I can serve you in this part of my life. Help me to see the deeper purpose of things that now may appear mundane. Continue to shape me in Your image. I pray this in Your name. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

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