Transcending Ego Disturbances

In today's first reading, Job 19: 21-27, Job  speaks of being hounded by his friends "as though [they] were divine."  He complains that they "insatiably prey upon" him!  How easy it is to pontificate against those whose behaviors we abhor and who seem to "insatiably prey upon" us!   Are we not then acting as though we were God?

It is easy to focus on the negative aspects of life, and there are many, and to get stuck on complaining about this or that or the other thing that disturbs our ego self.  I caught myself doing just that today and realized later, in prayer,  that, instead of seeking counsel from the Holy Spirit, I was focusing on an ego issue important to the prideful part of the self and about which another was hounding me.

Job did not cling to the words of those hounding him or complaining about him. No, he turned his focus to God and said to his critics:  "[A]s for me, I know that my Vindicator lives..."  If, like Job, you and I focused on God when things get rough around us, for whatever reason, we  certainly would not be "crying" about issues that naturally disturb the ego self.  May the Lord grant us the graces needed to redirect our thoughts to things of the Spirit self.

Right Focus

In today’s Scripture readings, we are encouraged to “throw [our] cares on the Lord, and he will support you.”  St. James reminds us to “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.” These messages follow the questions:  “Where do the wars and where to the conflicts among you come from? Is it not your passions that make war within your members?”  In the Gospel, the apostles are arguing about who will be first in the Kingdom.

How easy to get caught up the worldly matters and take our focus off of Jesus or to forget to “throw our cares on the Lord,” or to “draw near to God.”  St. James asks: “Do you not know that to be a lover of the world [and of secular goals] means enmity with God?”   When I am interiorly disturbed or not a peace, when my sole focus is success as proposed by the world, it is that turmoil that I can easily project onto others. It is that “muddy” thinking that blocks me from seeing as God sees and that depletes my trusting the Lord.  In those times I am seeking my will above God’s. 

The argument that broke out among the apostles occurred right after Jesus told them that “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” Jesus is about doing His Father’s will.  Nothing else!  He was not enmeshed in worldly, secular goals and neither should we be focused on such. Whatever we are doing here on earth—personally, vocationally, professionally, socially, as a parent, an employee, an employer, a friend, a relative—should be in response to God’s call or the Spirit’s lead in our life.  We are on a journey of dying and rising with Christ, in getting to know and imitate the Lord. Nothing else! Or is there?

In today’s Scripture readings, we are encouraged to “throw [our] cares on the Lord, and he will support you.”  St. James reminds us to “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.” These messages follow the questions:  “Where do the wars and where to the conflicts among you come from? Is it not your passions that make war within your members?”  In the Gospel, the apostles are arguing about who will be first in the Kingdom.

How easy to get caught up the worldly matters and take our focus off of Jesus or to forget to “throw our cares on the Lord,” or to “draw near to God.”  St. James asks: “Do you not know that to be a lover of the world [and of secular goals] means enmity with God?”   When I am interiorly disturbed or not a peace, when my sole focus is success as proposed by the world, it is that turmoil that I can easily project onto others. It is that “muddy” thinking that blocks me from seeing as God sees and that depletes my trusting the Lord.  In those times I am seeking my will above God’s. 

The argument that broke out among the apostles occurred right after Jesus told them that “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” Jesus is about doing His Father’s will.  Nothing else!  He was not enmeshed in worldly, secular goals and neither should we be focused on such. Whatever we are doing here on earth—personally, vocationally, professionally, socially, as a parent, an employee, an employer, a friend, a relative—should be in response to God’s call or the Spirit’s lead in our life.  We are on a journey of dying and rising with Christ, in getting to know and imitate the Lord. Nothing else! Or is there?