Cut Down on Things
Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:23)
Jesus periodically used hyperbole in the Bible to make His points. For example, in Matthew 5:30, He said, “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.” Neither of those does He mean literally. What Jesus really challenges us today, in this materialistic environment, is to re-examine the priority of our lives. If we see our possessions, our toys as objects of worship, then we are not completely free to embrace His commandment “to love the Lord, your God with all with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) We ought to see everything we have as merely tools for holy living, to bring us closer to God and to one another. For instant, a man may LOVE to play golf. Once he is married, he ends up having kids. Renouncing everything and following Jesus may mean that he needs to cut down on golf and spends time with the children and his family. Jesus simply asks you to put God first in you life! Do you? When you decide to put God first in your life, your soul will prosper, and your joy and peace will increase. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusts. (Psalms 28:7)
Lord, help me to put You first in my life. So many times, I find myself putting other things ahead of You. I make time for the things I want to do, but I find little time to pray. I find time to talk to my friends, but little time to speak with You. I need strength from You to love You above all things. Help me also to see and love others as You see them. Help me to love them as You love them. Amen.
O Blessed Mother Mary, woman of faith, You always put God first in Your life, we place our trust in Your powerful intercession as we pray. Hail Mary full of grace…
Peace in Christ,
Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen