Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Our lives are filled with so many decisions- what will I eat for lunch? Where will I live? What job will I take? Every second of the day we are deciding what we will do next. Some of these choices are simple and do not require much thought, but others are life altering. At times, all of the options we have may seem overwhelming, but as Christians we can turn to God and ask for His wisdom to guide us on our way. When we act and speak from the place of God’s wisdom, then we can be assured that we will find His peace, mercy and love as a confirmation of choosing what God desires for us and His world.
In the first reading, James encourages his listeners to be wise by the way they live good lives. This wisdom in not of human beginnings but is from God, and is “pure, peaceable, gentle and compliant”. James acknowledges that when people act out of wisdom from God, then their lives will be righteous and their decisions will create peace, not discord or hatred. In order to seek God’s wisdom, there must be an admission of humility that only God truly knows what is best. Wise decisions are God- centered, not centered on our own wants and ambitions.
In the gospel reading, Jesus reminds the disciples that before doing anything (particularly doing something that requires great determination and courage) prayer must be the first step to take. By turning to the Lord, the Spirit will provide the grace, strength and wisdom that is needed to move forward. When we cry out “help my unbelief” like the father in today’s reading, we recognize our limitations and look to God for the grace to believe in His loving mercy for us and our needs.
Putting God’s wisdom into action in our daily lives is so important but has many challenges. Recently, I faced a decision that I prayed would be made with the discernment of God’s wisdom. The difficulty with so many of the decisions we make is the fact that we are so entrenched in our thinking and so protective of our inner world and what is best for me- not necessarily what is God’s will for me. Taking the decision to the Lord in prayer is only the beginning of the process. Being able to place it in God’s hands and actually leave it there is probably the most daunting task in discerning God’s ways. By allowing God’s wisdom to spread over the situation like a blanket, a sense of peace and assurance begins to rise up from deep within. When the decision is finally made and it is done with God’s grace and wisdom, then the result of the decision is one that brings peace, unity, mercy and goodness not only to the person making the decision but those who are affected by the decision as well. My experience is that sometimes the process of making these decisions is a painful one, since it requires an admission of selfishness and pride. There needs to be a choice to abandon oneself and relinquish control- I know that for me these can only be done with God’s grace. As a disciple, we follow Jesus when we learn to die to our self and allow God to direct our ways. Although arriving at a final decision can be tortuous and painful, making choices based on the wisdom of God will always bring new life and blessings for all.
"Heavenly Father, you sent Jesus to show us how to live our lives always trusting in You and Your love. Send down your Spirit so we may have the wisdom to do Your will in all that we do and say. May we live our lives in such a way that we bring peace, mercy and unity to the world as we allow Your wisdom to guide our paths. We pray this through Christ, our LORD. Amen."
- Marylynn Herchline