Motivations of the Heart
What should I do? How should I do it? How do I know if I'm doing it right?
Today, we are products of how yesterday has moulded us and shaped us to form the persons we are. And today, we can only do the best with our lives in the best way we know how. Inasmuch as we would like to cling on to the idea that faith will see us through, we don't really know, do we? At times, we actually do feel like our life is one big speculative exercise. In religious terms, we call it "faith".
Sometimes, we spend too much of our time worrying about the future, we forget that how we live our lives today partially (and not in small measure) determines the future we beget. It's such a discipline of balance. Spend too much today, and you live poor tomorrow. Live too frugally today and ignore the needs of your neighbour, and you betray the poverty of you soul in the present itself. How much to give? How much to keep? Such are real questions we ask ourselves in the present.
In such a manner of groping, how do we know if God is all right with what we've done and how we've done things? Perhaps he has never bothered about how perfect we've lived our lives as much as about the attitude with which we've lived our lives. The motivations of the heart counts more than anything else.
Therefore, find yourself free from tormenting considerations that impose legalistic demands upon your life. Love God and love your neighbour, and do it in the best way you know how. You'll never be able to do it perfectly, but rejoice that your best is enough to please the heart of the Father.
Comments (2)
hi,got your blog tru fren's blog.
yup,i agreed with what u said.TODAY is so important as we don't even know will we have TOMORROW.not to be pessimistic,but it's a fact.to my surprise,some doc frens of mine r too busy with work and had missed a lot of things like friendship,etc.Or they think tmr is unforeseen,so no point putting effort in friendship which we may not see the results?
Sometimes i just dont understand,as a doc,death is so commonly seen in Hosp.Life is so fragile,dont they think we should really live a meaningful and fruitful TODAY?
Posted by Joycelyn | August 17, 2006 12:08 AM
Great words. The monk, Thomas Merton, spoke a prayer on just this theme. He prayed:
'MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.'
Yours, Brother Tadhg
Posted by Brother Tadhg | August 20, 2006 2:03 AM