"Dressed for Success" Part Five: Colossians 3

St. Paul tells us: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And over all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Col. 3:12-14)

So, I not only need protective armor to “dress for success.” I also need to “put on” these positive attributes to help me in my walk of faith. Sin is not just a matter of doing things that are wrong, but also of failing to do that which is right. If someone is hurt and I fail to help him, I am just as guilty as the person or persons who hurt him.

To have compassion on others is to “suffer with” them, to put myself in their place and empathize with them. It is trying to understand what they are going through and doing what I can to alleviate their suffering. It is putting others’ needs before my own. To do this, I can look to Jesus as my model. He had compassion on me when He took my sins upon himself and suffered and died for them.

Lowliness, meekness, and patience all have to do with submitting my will to God and others. I need to be ready to lay down my own plans when they conflict with God’s plans or with the needs of others.

In modern society these traits are often looked on as a sign of weakness, but nothing could be further from the truth. After all, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” He showed us the power of meekness by submitting himself completely to the Father’s will and thereby conquering sin and death.

When someone does something to offend me, I need to remember that I also am a sinner and that God has shown mercy to me. I need to extend that same mercy to others, forgiving them readily, even if they don’t ask forgiveness.

Above all I need to have love, not the “love” that many seek (the “touchy-feely” kind of love that comes and goes as people’s feelings or moods change). The kind of love that God calls me to is the committed love that doesn’t depend on feelings or circumstances.

It is the kind of love that Jesus has for me, a love so strong that He was willing to die for me. It is that love which St. Paul speaks of in his first letter to the Corinthians, a love that is patient and kind, that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:7)

To love as Jesus loves is to love unconditionally. It is to love even the unlovable, those who hurt me or annoy me. I don’t have to like these people, but I do have to love them.

So the next time someone encourages you to “dress for success,” remember that it’s what’s on the inside that really matters. Our fancy clothes and good looks will all pass away some day. It’s what’s in our hearts that will last. As St. Paul reminds us, “…when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away….So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:10 & 13)

"Dressed for Success" Part 4: Loyalty and Faithfulness

Another Bible passage which speaks of “dressing for success” is Proverbs 3:3: “Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Besides the armor of God, I also need to put on loyalty and faithfulness. I need to remain loyal and faithful to God, not abandoning Him when trouble or persecution arises. I need to be ready to defend my faith.

I also need to be faithful to my responsibilities and to those God has put into my life. I need to be ready to serve, even when I’m tired or anxious.

"Dressed for Success" Part 3: The Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit

St. Paul exhorts us to take the shield of faith in order to quench the “flaming darts” of the Evil One, but what are these flaming darts, I wondered, and how do we quench them with faith?

I felt like God was telling me that the devil’s flaming darts are lies, seeds of doubt and dissension, gossip, slander, etc. The enemy is very subtle, so I need to be on guard at all times. As with Adam and Eve, he often starts by making me doubt my relationship with God. Like a fire, these seeds of doubt spread until I fall into sin. A small spark can lead to a raging fire. In the same way, seemingly small things like a bit of gossip can spread and grow rapidly like a fire, having the potential to rupture relationships and destroy families or friendships.

To combat this, I need to have complete trust in God and in his love for me. I need to remember God’s faithfulness and all that He has done in my life. I need to trust that He has a plan for my life and that everything He does is for my good. As the Lord promised through Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)

I also need to be grounded in the Word of God. I need to learn the story of salvation history and ask God to reveal my role in that story. I need to memorize Scripture verses, so that I can call them to mind when I am tempted, just as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil.

"Dressed for Success" Part 2: The Breastplate of Righteousness and the Helmet of Salvation

The breastplate and the helmet protect the body’s most vital organs: the heart, the lungs, and the brain. These organs are the source of our physical life. Without them our physical bodies will perish.

In the same way, our souls, the source of our spiritual life, need protection, and God has provided the means to do that. As St. Paul reminds us, we need to “put on” the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation.

To put on righteousness is to put on Christ, to live rightly, to love God above all else, and to love others. As St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom. 13:14)

For me, I feel like God is saying that I need to guard my heart by living righteously and avoiding the occasion of sin. I like to remember that adage: “Garbage in, garbage out.”

If I fill my time and my mind with garbage (watching immoral television programs, listening to gossip, etc.), then inevitably that will bear fruit in my life, but not the kind of fruit I’d be proud of. If, rather, I fill my time and my mind with good things (studying and meditating on God’s Word, doing good works, etc.), that will bear the right kind of fruit, the fruit that leads myself and others to eternal life.

The book of Proverbs has good advice for guarding your heart:
“Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Take heed to the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” (Prov. 4:23-27)

To live righteously, then, I need to keep my eyes straight ahead, focusing on Jesus. I need to follow Him along the straight and narrow path that leads to life, not the wide and easy path that leads to destruction.

To put on the helmet of salvation is to trust in God’s mercy and in the power of his sanctifying grace. I need to remember that salvation comes from God alone. He has won the victory over sin and death. I need to choose the winning side. As Joshua challenged the Israelites shortly before his death: “Choose this day whom you will serve…; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

"Dressed for Success" Part 1: The Belt of Truth

There has been much talk in recent years about “dressing for success.” When someone goes for a job interview he or she is urged to dress appropriately, so as to make a good impression on prospective employers. The Bible, however, has many passages which speak of “dressing” for a much more important thing: that of our eternal salvation. Probably the best known of these passages is the following from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

“Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the Evil One. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:13-17)

How does one put on this armor, though? While meditating on this passage recently, God showed me some things that I’d like to share.

In John’s gospel it says that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Therefore the more I come to know Jesus the more I come to know the truth. The more I learn about the truth of my faith, the more I am able to refute the lies of the devil, who is the father of lies.

As John tells us, “Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” (Jn. 8:31-32)

To do this, I need to study God’s word and the teachings of the Church. I also need to spend time with others who believe and speak the truth, so that my faith is built up. My free time should be spent doing things that build up my faith (like spending time with family, reading good literature, watching wholesome movies, etc.).

"I Thirst"

Now that I’m retired I’m trying to devote more of my time to prayer. Since September, I’ve been participating in two Bible studies at my church: the gospel of Matthew and the Bible Timeline (an overview of salvation history).

This week in the Matthew study, we’ve been reading chapter 5, which begins Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. As a follow-up to our work this week, I’ve been meditating on the Beatitudes, which are a central theme in the chapter. Below are my thoughts on the fourth Beatitude: “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

To hunger and thirst for righteousness, I think, is to hunger and thirst for God, for He alone is without sin. We were created to know, love, and serve God, so it is only in Him that we find true happiness. As St. Augustine put it, “Our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.”

To hunger and thirst is more than just a desire, more than just, “I could sure go for a Coke right now.”

Thirst is more of an inner longing. It involves pain and a sense of urgency. Webster’s dictionary says that to thirst is “to crave vehemently and urgently.”

When someone is dying of thirst, he must drink or he will die. The human body can last many days or weeks without food or rest. The same is not true, however, of water. Almost every function in our bodies depends on water, so without it we will die very quickly.

In the same way, our spiritual selves need God, who is the life-giving water for our souls. Without Him, we will perish.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He said, “I thirst.” His thirst was not just for water, but for souls, for us, even for those who were putting Him to death.

Jesus still thirsts for souls. We can help ease his thirst when we thirst for Him and when we pray as He taught us: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we thirst for this, as Jesus did, and when we do our part to bring it about, we will comfort Jesus, and we ourselves will be satisfied, for we will be doing the work for which we were created.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Yesterday was my last day working as a part-time cake decorator at ShurFine Markets. As I left for my last day of work, I was feeling a bit anxious. I knew that I had a very busy day ahead of me, and I was afraid that I would not be able to get everything done in time. I took a few minutes to pray before I left, and I called to mind one of my favorite Scripture verses for times like this: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13) In stressful situations, I also like to pray, “Lord, there is nothing that you and I together can’t handle.” Sometimes, though, I get so caught up in the stress of the moment, I forget to turn to God.

I had to be at work by 6 A.M., so it was still dark when I left the house. Just as I set off, though, the sun started to come up, and it was a particularly beautiful sunrise. Witnessing that glorious sunrise comforted me and filled me with confidence that God would be with me. I arrived at work with a much more positive attitude and was much more peaceful than when I had set out. The day went very smoothly, and I finished everything that I absolutely had to finish.

Now that this chapter of my life is behind me, I find myself reflecting on the past eleven years and on my life in general. There have been many times that God has called me to do something new, and it seems that, in each instance, I have responded with fear and uncertainty. Time after time, though, God has been with me and has used these situations for my good.

I remember when my husband first brought up the idea, over twenty years ago, of me homeschooling our children. I did not feel qualified and balked at the idea. Eventually, though, I gave in and agreed to give it a try. It wasn’t long before I realized that I loved it. I enjoyed teaching our children and learning right along with them. More than that, God used that time to work in me, helping me to grow in self-confidence and assertiveness.

Years later, when my husband first told me that he needed me to go back to work to supplement his income, those same fears resurfaced: uncertainty and fear of the unknown. This time, though, I was a little more confident in my ability. When I saw an advertisement in the paper for a cake decorating job, I decided to go for it. I had never had any formal training, but I had taught myself to decorate and had decorated many cakes for family events over the years.

It’s been eleven years, almost to the day, since I first set foot in the bakery at ShurFine. In spite of the stress of working in retail, the hard work, and the occasional drama, I have really enjoyed working there. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss or better co-workers. I am so thankful for their friendship and for all the help they’ve given me over the years. I’m sorry for the times that I complained when I was under a lot of stress. I hope they know that I really appreciate them and the work they do.

I’m also thankful for all that I’ve learned from working with other, more experienced, cake decorators. I hope that I’m a much better decorator today than I was when I first started.

Although I’m looking forward to retirement, I’ll miss my co-workers and customers. As I close out this chapter in my life, I pray that my working in the bakery has made a difference in the lives of those I’ve worked with and served over the years. If I have done that, then I feel like a success.

As I begin this new chapter in my life, I’m trying to trust God more than I have in the past. Now that I’m retired I plan to spend more time in prayer and in doing volunteer work. I also hope to spend time working on my genealogy projects, hopefully completing some family history books.

I look forward to having more time to spend with my family, especially with those who live out of state. God willing, it won’t be long before the grandchildren start coming. When that time comes, I trust God to help me take up that new role: that of grandmother. Until then, I pray that God will give me all the gifts and graces I need to do whatever he calls me to do.

Now Is the Acceptable Time

“Behold, now is a very acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2

It’s that time of year again. I must confess that I’ve never been a big fan of Lent. I guess I’ve always been part of that crowd that sees Lent just as a time to “give up” something, and the things that I’ve given up in years past have probably been things that I didn’t care that much about anyway.

God is showing me, though, that Lent is meant to be so much more than “giving up” something. It’s meant to be a time of refreshment and renewal, a time to take a good look at our lives and see what God wants to change.

Over the past six months I’ve been trying to work on my speech habits, particularly in the area of gossip and complaining. I’ve also been trying to be less selfish and self-centered. I thought I was making some progress, and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Then I went on vacation.

My husband and I left on Ash Wednesday for six days in San Antonio. Before we left, I spent a lot of time planning what we’d do while we were there. I also planned to do some genealogy research, so I was prepared with all kinds of cool things to look for at the library there. I even had a tentative itinerary worked out in my head.

God must have had a good laugh when he saw me making all those plans, for he had other plans for me. First, my phone died almost as soon as we got off the plane. Once we checked into our hotel at 3:00, my husband went right to bed and slept for the next 12 hours straight. I did not feel like going to sleep at that time, so I was left with no phone and nothing to do.

The next day, which I had planned to use for research, we spent most of the morning getting me a new phone and getting my minutes and phone number transferred from my old phone. By the time we got to the library to research, it was almost 1:00. After researching for a few hours, I noticed that my husband was falling asleep and was looking more and more miserable. I kept working for a little longer, but I knew that I had to quit, even if it meant that I didn’t accomplish nearly as much as I had hoped.

When we got back to the hotel, my husband went to bed, so I was left on my own again. As the hours passed, I became more and more agitated and angry. I could see all my plans for this vacation going out the window. I knew that it was supposed to rain on Saturday and Sunday, and I envisioned us spending the whole vacation in our hotel room. I was feeling sorry for myself, but I also felt discouraged by my sinful attitudes. I was failing miserably in the very things that I had been trying to work on.

The next day, before breakfast, I started out with an extended time of prayer. What a difference that made! I began the day with a better attitude, and that day and the rest of the weekend went really well. I was able to finish up my research at the library, and we were also able to do most of the things that I had planned. Although it did rain on Saturday, we had a wonderful visit with my daughter and son-in-law, and we got to do lots of fun things.

Now that we’re back home I’m trying to spend more time in prayer, and I’m trying to make more meaningful sacrifices. God gave me countless opportunities last week to grow in trust, and to “count it all joy” in times of stress. I’m afraid that I failed miserably, but I pray that He will have mercy on me and will not give up on me.

Incline your ear

“Incline your ear and hear my words, and apply your heart to my doctrine; for it will be well if you keep them in your bosom, if they all are ready on your lips.” Prov. 22: 17-18

I think this verse from Proverbs sums up what God has been doing in me, especially over the past few months. God has shown me that, if I want to grow as a Christian and be better at sharing my faith, I need to spend more time reading and studying God’s word and the teachings of the Church. I also need to spend more time in prayer, listening to God.

I especially like the part of this verse that talks about keeping God’s words in my bosom, so that they are ready on my lips. I’ve been trying to work on memorizing Scriptures, so that I can call them to mind when I need them. Thus, when I find myself in a stressful situation, I remind myself that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13) and “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2). When I become angry, I remember, “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.” (Eph. 4:26)

True happiness

“He who loves pleasure will suffer want; he who loves wine and perfume will not be rich.” Prov. 21:17

One of the key themes in my Bible study on James was growing in wisdom. One of the greatest sources of wisdom is the book of Proverbs. Since there are 31 days in most months and 31 chapters in Proverbs, we were encouraged to read a chapter each day. The verse above spoke to me as I read chapter 21.

God created us to know Him and love Him and serve Him. If we seek after things that bring us pleasure, like money, fancy clothes, rich food, or the approval of others, we will never be fully satisfied. Often, the more we get, the more we want. Some of the richest people in the world are also the unhappiest.

I think that what our souls ultimately long for is to be with God, and thus the things that make us truly happy in this life are those that bring us closer to that goal (things like prayer, the love of family and friends, and helping others). As St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless till they rest in thee.”

My hero

I thank God for my wonderful husband. He is one of the people that I have prayed for over the years (see my last blog, on “The prayers of the righteous”), for he has suffered from clinical depression for most of his life.

Many people these days have “heroes” that they look up to: sports stars, politicians, movie stars, etc. My hero, though, is my husband and people like him. I know that it’s often difficult for him to even get out of bed, much less work an 8-hour shift stocking shelves at Walmart. Yet, every day, he does just that. He drags himself out of bed and goes to work, even when he’s feeling bad, so that he can provide for me and our family. To me, that is truly heroic.

The prayers of the righteous

“The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” James 5:16

I am a very firm believer in the power of prayer. I have seen God do many miraculous things in my life as a result of prayer.

I believe that prayer can have even more effect when many people pray together for a common cause. Last year, when our country was about to attack Syria, the pope called all the faithful to pray and fast on a particular day for the situation in that country. Shortly after that day of prayer, the crisis passed and no attack came.

I believe that God always answers our prayers, but not always in the way that we expect or according to our timetable. I have been praying for many years for several friends and family members who suffer from depression. The more I pray, the more God seems to bring people into my life who need prayer.

(The kind of depression I’m referring to is clinical depression. Most of us get down at some time in our lives, when a loved one dies or when we are out of work, etc., but that is brought on by a difficult situation. Clinical depression, though, is not a result of circumstances. It just is. A chemical imbalance in the brain causes this kind of depression.)

A few months ago, a young priest from our parish passed away suddenly. It was a shock to everyone, and many people grieved his loss. A few days after his death, our pastor explained that Father had suffered from depression for most of his life and that his death had been self-inflicted.

I was devastated and felt a real burden to pray for people, like Father, who are in such pain and who often suffer in silence. I was frustrated and felt like my prayers weren’t being answered.

As I prayed, I felt like God was telling me that this kind of problem required prayer and fasting. I also felt like he was calling me to gather a group of people who would commit to praying and fasting for this intention.

In our Bible study at this time we were focusing on putting our faith into action, so I knew I had to do something. I got up the nerve to talk to the women in my Bible study, and a number of them agreed to join me in praying and fasting (or making some other sacrifice). We also began meeting once a week to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together for all those who suffer from any kind of mental illness.

We’ve been meeting for over two months now, and there is a group of ten to twenty of us that have been coming regularly. We meet at church every Thursday morning, for about 15 minutes, after daily Mass. I am very hopeful that our prayers are having an effect.

If this blog post has touched your heart, I’d ask you to consider joining me in praying for people with mental illness, either on your own, in your family, or in your faith community. Maybe offer up a small sacrifice for them. If you find yourself caught in traffic or having to shovel yet another batch of snow, rather than complaining perhaps offer up a prayer for all those who struggle just to get through the day.

Count it all joy

“Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1: 2-3

Webster’s dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve never felt very joyful while in the midst of trials. I like it when things are going well. When things are not going well, I tend to complain and get depressed.

Last year I was going through some very difficult times. I was feeling overwhelmed and lonely. In my distress I turned to the Lord and He helped me to find peace.

Some of my friends from church had been involved for many years in a Bible study. I had often thought of asking them if I could join, but I could never bring myself to do it. As I said in my last blog, I’ve never been very comfortable about sharing my faith with others, so I could never get up the nerve to ask.

Last year, though, I decided to give the Bible study a try. I was feeling very lonely, and I desperately needed fellowship with other women. It ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made, because the Bible study was a life-changing experience for me (more about that in a later blog).

The above Scripture from James was the central point of the first Bible study lesson. At the end of the ten week course, as I thought about all that the Lord had done in my life in a few short months, I had a better understanding of what James meant. I realized that if I hadn’t gone through those trials I probably never would have joined the Bible study, and I would have missed out on all that the Lord had in store for me.

I think that the joy James refers to is “the prospect of possessing what one desires.” Trials lead us to rely more on God and less on ourselves. They also help to purify us and make us stronger. If we respond to troubles in the right way they can help to make us better people, so my prayer is that my trials will always make me “better, not bitter.”

Let your light shine

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5: 14-16

I have never been very good about sharing my faith with others. I tend to be shy by nature, and that often keeps me from speaking out when I should. I hope, therefore, with this blog, to do a better job of letting my light shine. This is my feeble attempt at “setting my lamp on a lampstand,” rather than keeping it hidden. I hope that I can give glory to God, and maybe encouragement to others, through my words.