God is trustworthy

 

I’d like to picture myself as one who exudes a loving peace and calm, leading a constant interior prayer life and always connected in some mystical way to the Holy Spirit.  Yeah, I’d like to, but I'm not like that much.

Instead, I’m more impatient, tapping my feet and drumming my fingers at lines, waiting, traffic, frustrating situations, etc.  Sometimes though, I’m flooded with the grace of patience and a peace in the midst of a situation that would normally be stressful.  I can recognize it right away and always feel grateful to the Holy Spirit for this new patience and peace that I’m certain doesn’t emanate from me.

I think the Scriptures I reflected on today are a good example of some of the graces that come with the Holy Spirit.  In the Acts of the Apostles, we see the formerly cowardly Peter, now peacefully standing in court calmly saying, “We must obey God rather than men.”  After recounting what those court officers had done to Jesus, Peter adds, “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”  He feels the peace and calm of the Holy Spirit and recognizes it, much to the fury of the court officials (Acts 5:27-33).

The Gospel of John notes that the gifts of the Spirit are not rationed.  Instead those graces are given with a generous and overflowing love.  The fruits of the Holy Spirit are clear in our lives when we recognize them.  They include peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, charity and joy.  He doesn’t ration His gift of the Spirit (John 3:31-36).

And the opposites of these gifts are also clear.  When our days are filled with gossip, criticism and judgments, we’ve lost touch with the Spirit.  If we can easily see how others could improve their lives and we hold tightly to the grudges in our hearts, we’ve forgotten the generous heart of the Spirit who is constantly pouring down graces on us.

Also in John’s Gospel, we hear this nugget: “God is trustworthy.”

How shocking Peter’s statement to the high priest must have been.  The members of the Sanhedrin undoubtedly believed they spoke for God, so it brought them up short to be reminded that there’s a power higher than theirs.

Given time and reflection, it’s usually clear what God’s will is in any situation.  Peter had no doubt what the right thing to do was: keep preaching in the name of Jesus.

His assurance was due in part to the fact that God is indeed trustworthy.  We can trust that if we believe firmly, after reflecting and praying, that we’re acting according to God’s guidance, then we’re acting justly.  If new information comes to light or things don’t turn out as planned, we can still be assured that God is pleased with our attempts to do the right thing and will show us the way forward once again.