In God We Trust: Coping With Potholes, Pitfalls and Panic

A friend of mine was surprised at the extraordinary interest of his fellow office workers in the progress of his wife's pregnancy. Almost every day someone would inquire about her progress or about the doctor's reports, and especially about the expected arrival time. It wasn't until later that he discovered that a "betting pool" had been set up among his fellow employees, the winner being the one who guessed the day, hour, and minute closest to the moment of the anticipated birth. The buzz of interest, he soon recognized, was not so much the shared joy of the expected birth but the greedy desire to win the office bet.

False motives have a way of infiltrating both our social life and our spiritual life. The author of Proverbs scorns the hypocrisy of "the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost... his heart is not with you" (Prv 23:7). False or superficial motivation, like toxic waste, subtly poisons some Christians who seek to validate their Christianity by symbols rather than substance—bumper stickers, ostentatious use of religious jewelry, and Christian jargon.

What really validates our Christianity –especially in the malestorm of adversity – is our character, which reveals itself in many interior goals and choices: our zeal for building the Lord's kingdom, our lifestyle decisions, our dedication to the pursuit of holiness, and our sensitivity to impediments to our union with God. Recognizing the dangers of hypocrisy and wrong motives, Paul sets the standard for living a truly Christian life: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good... Keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Rom 12:9-12). Those inspired words, full of concise and sound advice about dodging spiritual road hazards, epitomize the contents of these articles.

 When we are confronted with potholes and pitfalls on our heaven-bound journey, when we are shocked by the realization of our own lassitude and character flaws, discouraged by apparent non-answers to prayer, or overwhelmed by adversities—it is then that we must, with unwavering faith, call upon the Lord, "who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" (Jude 24). And that same faith will dissolve our panic and strengthen us with insuperable confidence, like Paul, to move forward on our trek—"to finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given" (Acts 20:24).

Let us strive to emulate the resilient, single-hearted, faith-activated trust of David, one of God's favorites. He knew how to confront potholes, pitfalls and panic: "In God I trust, I will not be afraid.... For you have delivered.... my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life" (Ps 56:11-13).

This excerpt is from the book The Art of Loving God by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications, 1995. This and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.