CommentaryWhat really matters when it comes to God
"Why am I so antagonistic towards anything spiritual? My interior life probably pales in comparison to a monk’s. If it feels better to believe in something, why not? Why not take comfort in the idea that one day we might see the ones we’ve lost?"
Those are words from a blog by James A. Reeves, a blogger/writer/American I discovered online not too long ago. He says other things, about faith being a form of denial and such, but they come off kindly. He means well.
Debating faith isn't the point of this post.
The point of this post is addressing what we have faith in. What are we living for? Is it to get to Heaven, to see those we've lost, to reunite with those we miss? This is a good and fine dream, one wholly human, and one wholly loving.
But Jesus Christ, the man who was God, said that our love for God will make our love for our families and friends pale in comparison to such a degree that it seems like hate.
A writer once offered a vision: It is not Peter, or Paul, or an angel, or God, who greet us at Heaven's gates, but Lucifer. He has won, he will tell us, and he now runs Heaven, and here, he offers us the key in, and we can go and see our family and friends that we lost. They are there. By the way, Jesus is in Hell, and if you want to go be with Him, you have to go to Hell, too.
What would you choose?
That's all anything has ever been about, and ever will be about.
I pretty sure that's not really what's going to happen. But what if it did? That visual has snapped everything even further into perspective for me. Religion doesn't matter, and faith doesn't matter, and what you think or know about God -- your theology -- doesn't matter.
All that matters is this: Do you love Him?
If anyone tells you anything otherwise, ignore them.
If you love God, nothing else you can do in this life is worth someone else putting you down. We're all imperfect, each in our own unique ways. I've stopped doing things I used to do not because I felt guilty, but because I saw how stepping away from them took me closer to knowing God. You love someone, you want to know them as well as you can, right? When I was dating Katie, I was also really close friends with a lot of girls. But as I fell in love with Katie, I cared less about being close with those other girls. I could have stayed friends with them, and they still mean a lot to me today, but she became the only girl I cared enough about to change my life for.
That's what our relationship with God is all about.
Loving Him so much we'll change our lives to know Him more.
Reader Comments (3)
Wow - this is pretty strange to me as a Catholic. After almost 55 years on this earth I have NEVER heard a statement like that. Now that I have there is no way in my mind this could ever happen. I would never even consider such a thing.
I know, it is a crazy concept, right? Of course, I don't actually believe that's what really happens -- just putting it out there, because I found it really thought-provoking, in a healthy way. So I thought I'd share.
The point, as it is with everything for me, is to focus on loving God above all.
Thanks for stopping by and for the comment, Leni!
Best blog ever!!!!