Friday, May 22, 2020

It's simple, really

My reflection today led me to remember the times that I’ve been asked, “Why do you believe, Steve? Have you ever questioned your faith?”

Have I ever questioned my faith? Yes. I’ve been tested, but not so much anymore. I’ll leave it at that.

Why do I believe? As I think about my answer, I start with the knowledge that faith is a gift from God and that ultimately my personal faith flows from my acceptance of His gift.

But today I pondered upon what experiential reasons make me able to accept this gift from God. I can come up with a multitude of examples that make it reasonable to believe, but one reason in particular stands out above all the others. And I’ll admit the simplicity of it surprises me. When I’ve been faithful to living the Gospel, I’ve found peace and happiness; when I haven’t been faithful, I’ve lacked that peace. In short, faithfulness to living the Gospel is my path to the greatest peace and happiness. This is the greatest support for my faith.

A very ordinary example can help show what I mean. In my life I have been occasionally unjustly condemned or criticized by someone. I then have a choice of how to respond to that criticism: I can either forgive the person or I can hold on to resentment. When I choose to move toward forgiveness (living the Gospel) I experience peace; but when I choose to move away from forgiveness (not living the Gospel) I lose that peace. Living the Gospel brings peace.

Jesus’ words reaffirm my conviction that living the Gospel brings peace and joy. Jesus invites his disciples to ask anything in His name, and then He assures us that we will receive what we ask, “so that your joy may be full.” (John 16:23-28) He is repeating the promise He made earlier to His disciples, “All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

Faith in Jesus gives us believers the joy that the world cannot give nor take away. This faith, our path to deepest joy, is the greatest gift God has given us.

So when I’m asked why I believe, the best I can do is to witness to the peace and joy my faith brings to my life. I think my answer can give some a new perspective to view faith. I hope so.

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"I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:
the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third — by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.

Many souls ... are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul.

If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy".