Get over Yourself!!

Why is it that so many of us devote so much time and energy trying to justify our rejection of God? We justify why we don’t go to Mass on Sunday, why we don’t think Confession is necessary, why we are proponents for same sex marriage, and why we support the causes of the LBGT agenda, to name just a few.

I don’t really understand the need for us to do this. God does not force us to attend Mass or go to Confession. He doesn’t command us to accept the gifts he offers us in the sacraments. He also gave us the precious gift of free will; which seems to be a detriment to many. We can do what we want, think what we want, and practice what we want. It proves that God is not a dictator, but a Father who loves us, and respects us enough to make our own choices. He wants our love freely and unconditionally, not based on what he can do for us or give to us. He does not command, expect, or force us to love him. He does desire it more than we can imagine though.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

It seems like many of us want things both ways. We want to eat our cake and have it too.. The problem is if we reject God and what he offers us as gift and Grace, we also relinquish the benefits and the rewards that come with those offerings. God wants salvation for all, but salvation comes on God’s terms, not ours. It is his salvation to offer. He decides who is worthy. When we decide that it is up to us to determine what is right and just, then we are elevating ourselves above divine providence and authority. The divine providence and authority Christ himself gave to the Church.

1 John 4:6-7 “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Elevating ourselves in this way, over our Savior and his Apostles, is neither meek or humble. A humble heart is what we must seek to be right and in a just relationship with God.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”Psalm 51:17

If the rules, teachings and commandments given to us by God are not good enough for us now, while we live her in the temporal world, why do we think or expect them to be satisfactory to us when we reach the eternal one? If we don’t respect and love God enough to praise him the way that he has asked of us on Sunday, preferring to sleep in or commune with his natural world instead, why would we look forward to spending all of eternity praising him this way?

Hebrews 13:21 “Equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Why do we expect salvation when we have rejected all the gifts and tools God offers us so we can secure it?

We all need to align ourselves with God’s will. Eternity is all about him, not all about you and me individually. He is the only eternal one. We all had a beginning, one that he gave us. We need to “get over ourselves” and get on with what God wants for us; as his Body of Christ. God knows what we need and desire more than we do. As stated above, he did make us. We are his creations. Everything we know and have is his creation. His gift of salvation is his to give and it is s very generous gift. We are all very unworthy and many times ungrateful. We are so presumptuous and indulgent to expect it without any cost or commitment to him.

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” 2 Timothy 1:9

So, it really is up to us. I am so troubled that so many of us may not gain salvation. We suffer from so much pride and vanity; and it is getting in the way of the Truth. We must reform our lives and “get over ourselves”. We all seem to want the same thing eternally, so let’s start making the right choices to get there. Let’s stop doing what we want and what we think is best for us, and start doing what God wants and knows is best for us.

We don’t seem to have any trouble with our expectations of what God’s salvation will be. We all seem to desire Heaven and don’t question how good it will be. If we have no problems with what awaits us as salvation and Heaven then why do we seem to question and not comply with God’s Earthly plans and desires for us? We might not understand this world and our part in it, but we don’t know what awaits us after this World either. We believe in his promises for Heaven, but don’t seem to take serious his warnings of Hell.

Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

There is still time, we can align ourselves to follow his plan for our lives now and then enjoy that everlasting plan someday later in eternity. We just need to “get over ourselves”!