Why God doesn't play "quid pro quo."
We're at work and things aren't going well. In spite of what we consider our best efforts, that deal we were working on falls through. All that time and effort and no payoff. And it might get worse. Your boss may lay into you; you may even be fired. Ugh!
Meanwhile, you were going to daily Mass, receiving Communion, getting to confession at least once a month...even spending time reading the scriptures and some spiritual reading every morning before leaving for work.
Hey, I'm a good Catholic, doing my best, devoting time to God, putting in my best effort at work. What's going on?!! Why are things going bad?
Maybe you're stuck in the "quid pro quo" world of Catholic piety. You're being good, doing everything you think you should, but you're not getting the "results" you expect. You've asked God for success on this project or deal. You've told him you need to succeed at this job and make more money - not for you, but for your family.
You're not even being selfish and things still aren't going your way!
There are no easy answers to this one. But if you're thinking that God "owes you" the favor or success you prayed for, or that it's not fair if you don't get what you asked for, think again.
God is love. And love isn't based on obligation or "quid pro quo." Because God loves us, and - don't miss this - knows EVERYTHING about us, He just may have a better plan in mind for us than we do for ourselves. And it may be time to just listen up and try to understand what that is.
You may not get what you want now. And you may not be able to understand exactly why or what it is that God wants you to do - at least for now. But if you don't open up and start listening you'll never know. You'll be turning your back on God and locking yourself inside yourself.
If God loves us and knows us, how can we even think we can ever trade or bargain or go the "quid pro quo" route with Him? It makes no sense. We're not thinking Catholic.
But the main point is that God doesn't play the "quid pro quo" game because he really does know better. He knows what's best for us. And we've simply got to start learning to listen and trust Him.
God creating everything good. We screwed things up. We kept screwing things up so badly that God sent His only Son to live with us to help us straighten out. He gave us the supreme example of love and sacrifice in his words and actions while He walked among us, and with His passion and death on the cross.
Then He gave us the greatest sign of hope you could ever imagine: the Resurrection. We are destined for eternal happiness with Him, even though we have to face physical death in this world.
Maybe we should just think about all this instead of trying to figure out why God didn't help us get that deal, or that raise, or succeed at that project.
Meanwhile, you were going to daily Mass, receiving Communion, getting to confession at least once a month...even spending time reading the scriptures and some spiritual reading every morning before leaving for work.
Hey, I'm a good Catholic, doing my best, devoting time to God, putting in my best effort at work. What's going on?!! Why are things going bad?
Maybe you're stuck in the "quid pro quo" world of Catholic piety. You're being good, doing everything you think you should, but you're not getting the "results" you expect. You've asked God for success on this project or deal. You've told him you need to succeed at this job and make more money - not for you, but for your family.
You're not even being selfish and things still aren't going your way!
There are no easy answers to this one. But if you're thinking that God "owes you" the favor or success you prayed for, or that it's not fair if you don't get what you asked for, think again.
God is love. And love isn't based on obligation or "quid pro quo." Because God loves us, and - don't miss this - knows EVERYTHING about us, He just may have a better plan in mind for us than we do for ourselves. And it may be time to just listen up and try to understand what that is.
You may not get what you want now. And you may not be able to understand exactly why or what it is that God wants you to do - at least for now. But if you don't open up and start listening you'll never know. You'll be turning your back on God and locking yourself inside yourself.
If God loves us and knows us, how can we even think we can ever trade or bargain or go the "quid pro quo" route with Him? It makes no sense. We're not thinking Catholic.
But the main point is that God doesn't play the "quid pro quo" game because he really does know better. He knows what's best for us. And we've simply got to start learning to listen and trust Him.
God creating everything good. We screwed things up. We kept screwing things up so badly that God sent His only Son to live with us to help us straighten out. He gave us the supreme example of love and sacrifice in his words and actions while He walked among us, and with His passion and death on the cross.
Then He gave us the greatest sign of hope you could ever imagine: the Resurrection. We are destined for eternal happiness with Him, even though we have to face physical death in this world.
Maybe we should just think about all this instead of trying to figure out why God didn't help us get that deal, or that raise, or succeed at that project.
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