"What God Has to Work With"
"What God Has to Work With"
The Lord cares, despite all of our silliness. We are the kind of being God loves. God’s love doesn’t depend on our doing nice or right things. Yet it’s an illusion to think that any of us would operate totally beyond self-interest. Realistically, every action of our life is filled with self. That’s human nature, and it’s probably OK as long as we’re honest about it.
For example, I have become tired of giving talks. As it does for everyone, my gift has become my curse. But at the same time I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I gain some kind of ego satisfaction: I stand in front of crowds, and it makes me feel good. That’s OK as long as I recognize my mixed motives and self-interest. That’s the only way God gets anyone to do anything! It’s legitimate and probably necessary self-interest.
What concerns me is when we say we’re doing it all for Jesus, or purely for love, or for our spouse or children, or for the Church. That’s usually a delusion. We’re doing it in part for ourselves, and God, in great love and humility, says, “That’s what I work with. That’s all I work with!” It’s the mustard seed with which God does great things. Thank God!
True recognition of our basic egotism is a humbling experience, but a liberating one too.
from Letting Go: A Spirituality of Subtraction
The Lord cares, despite all of our silliness. We are the kind of being God loves. God’s love doesn’t depend on our doing nice or right things. Yet it’s an illusion to think that any of us would operate totally beyond self-interest. Realistically, every action of our life is filled with self. That’s human nature, and it’s probably OK as long as we’re honest about it.
For example, I have become tired of giving talks. As it does for everyone, my gift has become my curse. But at the same time I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I gain some kind of ego satisfaction: I stand in front of crowds, and it makes me feel good. That’s OK as long as I recognize my mixed motives and self-interest. That’s the only way God gets anyone to do anything! It’s legitimate and probably necessary self-interest.
What concerns me is when we say we’re doing it all for Jesus, or purely for love, or for our spouse or children, or for the Church. That’s usually a delusion. We’re doing it in part for ourselves, and God, in great love and humility, says, “That’s what I work with. That’s all I work with!” It’s the mustard seed with which God does great things. Thank God!
True recognition of our basic egotism is a humbling experience, but a liberating one too.
from Letting Go: A Spirituality of Subtraction
posted by LuisVelasco @ 9:22 PM
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