Called to Serve
"What we do for ourselves, dies with us; what we do for others lives forever and for God for eternity." (My Pastor loosely quoted)
We are living in a very self-serving society. We are bombarded with enhancing our self-esteem, demanding our liberty and our personal rights. Seldom are we encouraged to reach out to others--to serve others. We are constantly told if we have this or that "thing" we'll be happy and we deserve it and the happiness it brings. Yet many people are depressed; they aren't happy. Though many people are seeking personal freedom, the freedom they are promised by others is often not realized. At times the very thing they are pursuing to achieve this freedom is in reality enslaving themselves.
It may seem to be a contradiction but those who reach out and serve others are the ones who really achieve freedom.
As Christians we believe God has called us to love and serve Him and others. God gave us a free will and He wants our love and service and He wants us to love and serve others. Yet, since He gave us a free will we have to make the decision whether we will serve Him and others or whether we will choose to serve ourselves.
Those American Catholics who were catechized prior to Vatican II probably remember the answer in the Baltimore Catechism to the question "Why did God make us?"; i.e., "To know, love and serve Him in this world and to be with Him in the next." What wisdom there was in that answer.
Have you ever noticed how truly happy those people are who reach out and voluntary serve and help others. Really it is human nature in the positive sense to do this--parents who do whatever they can to assure their children are raised well; spouses who demonstrate their love for each other daily; priests, religious and others who give their lives for others; siblings who love and help each other; etc.; etc.; etc.
When our pastor stated what I quoted above, I thought to myself he said a mouthful. I am convinced the more willingly we serve God and others the happier we will be and the impact we'll leave will go on for generations and possibly eternity.
We are living in a very self-serving society. We are bombarded with enhancing our self-esteem, demanding our liberty and our personal rights. Seldom are we encouraged to reach out to others--to serve others. We are constantly told if we have this or that "thing" we'll be happy and we deserve it and the happiness it brings. Yet many people are depressed; they aren't happy. Though many people are seeking personal freedom, the freedom they are promised by others is often not realized. At times the very thing they are pursuing to achieve this freedom is in reality enslaving themselves.
It may seem to be a contradiction but those who reach out and serve others are the ones who really achieve freedom.
As Christians we believe God has called us to love and serve Him and others. God gave us a free will and He wants our love and service and He wants us to love and serve others. Yet, since He gave us a free will we have to make the decision whether we will serve Him and others or whether we will choose to serve ourselves.
Those American Catholics who were catechized prior to Vatican II probably remember the answer in the Baltimore Catechism to the question "Why did God make us?"; i.e., "To know, love and serve Him in this world and to be with Him in the next." What wisdom there was in that answer.
Have you ever noticed how truly happy those people are who reach out and voluntary serve and help others. Really it is human nature in the positive sense to do this--parents who do whatever they can to assure their children are raised well; spouses who demonstrate their love for each other daily; priests, religious and others who give their lives for others; siblings who love and help each other; etc.; etc.; etc.
When our pastor stated what I quoted above, I thought to myself he said a mouthful. I am convinced the more willingly we serve God and others the happier we will be and the impact we'll leave will go on for generations and possibly eternity.
Labels: Living The Faith
posted by Paul Amrhein | 8:26 PM
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