The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121614.cfm) reminds me that God looks at our actions and not just our words.
Words and actions go hand in hand but in times of conflict, actions win. They say that actions speak louder than words, and in a lot of situations, this is true. What we say is important, but merely saying it is not enough. Words should be backed up by actions. Words should be proven by actions.
In the gospel, we see that Jesus appreciates those “sinners” who say they will not follow God, but eventually turned to follow him, than the righteous who says they will follow God but do not live their lives according to their words.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him
God does not give up on us. He sends people to convince us, to help us change our ways and live for Him. However, the decision to follow him is ours, not his. He gave us freewill, and no matter how many or how great his signs and help are, we still choose.
It is easy to say we love God. It is easy to say we love others. It is easy to say we are Christians. But it is difficult to live it. It is not easy to be patient with others. It is not easy to see the good with others. It is not easy to live right, especially when no one sees us. It is not easy to choose God in the big, but more importantly, the little decisions we make everyday.
May we prepare for Christmas, may we be reminded that our actions should go hand in hand with our words.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live .thank you for another day to experience your love. Lord, thank you for the reminder. Thank you for not giving up on me. I ask that you help me live my life in a way that would please you. May my words always be backed up by actions. Help me to be willing to step out of my comfort zone and do things for you. Amen.
Blessed day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related reflection:
No comments:
Post a Comment