I want to share with you advice that has really helped me make the right decisions in my life. As a woman who is continually looking to strengthen her relationships with friends, family, and most importantly, God, I’ve found that some days I do and other days I don’t.
Why is that?
I think that I found out why, and Saint Matthew explains it the best. He said,
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 10:39
The above quote from the Gospel is a very powerful one – yet difficult to do. Why would anyone want to lose their life? And even knowing that you will find it after losing it, this request is still difficult!
In this very short sentence, Jesus gives us the essence of Christianity. He tells us that a Christian will truly be who they are meant to be when they give themselves unreservedly to God.
So how is it that we hand our lives over to God? Well, this comes back to how I started. I found that it is in making the right decisions with those around me that I hand my life over to God.
Here are 12 actions that will help you do that, too.
Don’t…
- Complain through your suffering
- Think the world revolves around you
- Define yourself by your material wealth and success
- Assume that you’re going to Heaven
- Chase your dream, instead of chasing God’s will
- Underestimate God’s love for you
Do…
- Choose to love those people in your life who you find it hardest to love
- Take at least 15 minutes a day for mental prayer
- Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in all the decisions that you make
- Trust in God more than you trust in yourself
- Give to others, especially when you don’t want to
- Forgive those who have hurt you
Now, to get practical, I ask that you pause for a moment and think about where you find yourself. Do you do a lot of the ’don’ts’? Do you do a lot of the ‘do’s’?
Regardless where you find yourself, the important next step is to take action – even if it is a small step forward.
I pray that these quick points will help you discern if you are on the path to truly surrendering your life to God’s will.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
