When I was younger, the idea of following Christ was very nice. For me it meant doing nothing but be of service to the Father. However, as I grew older and acquired more responsibilities, I started having ideas that “following Christ” entailed literally dropping everything I had –my family, my responsibilities, basically the life that I’ve known and lived. This idea made me very uneasy and therefore reluctant to actually follow. I even debated with myself of how this might actually “just” mean escaping from the difficulties of my present life. This was really a strain to my relationship with the Father, and it was so hard to actually understand what I was supposed to do thus made me to always push the issue aside.
Little did I know that following did not mean to just apathetically drop everything and turn my back on my life. My existence is a gift from God and there must be a reason why he gave it, there must be a purpose why we are all leading different lives and realizing different specializations. Although for some, following Christ might mean actually dropping everything and lead a life of holiness untouched by the world if possible, for others it also meant to take the path that Jesus was taking. Following meant walking side by side with Him throughout my life and strive to live the way He did when He was still on earth.
We do not have to stick to a preset method as to how we should follow, rather as people have differences then also are the differences in the manners of following. However, no matter how different the ways are, the most important is the wholehearted pursuance for the Father. The differences between peoples which includes the differences in the specializations achieved was not meant to make pride for ourselves, rather it meant to make ourselves and others marvel at the greatness of the Father as it radiates through our differences. Thus, it is the purity of the heart in doing that counts and not the manner in which it is done.
So if I was asked now to if I would follow Christ, even as I know that it is easier said than done, I would wholeheartedly strive to do so. As the concept of the original solitude tells us, we came from the Father and our end goal is to return to the Father. Since our likeness to Christ brings us neared to the Father, I now realize that following Christ is not a means of escaping, rather a means of getting to the end goal which is to be with the Father.
Little did I know that following did not mean to just apathetically drop everything and turn my back on my life. My existence is a gift from God and there must be a reason why he gave it, there must be a purpose why we are all leading different lives and realizing different specializations. Although for some, following Christ might mean actually dropping everything and lead a life of holiness untouched by the world if possible, for others it also meant to take the path that Jesus was taking. Following meant walking side by side with Him throughout my life and strive to live the way He did when He was still on earth.
We do not have to stick to a preset method as to how we should follow, rather as people have differences then also are the differences in the manners of following. However, no matter how different the ways are, the most important is the wholehearted pursuance for the Father. The differences between peoples which includes the differences in the specializations achieved was not meant to make pride for ourselves, rather it meant to make ourselves and others marvel at the greatness of the Father as it radiates through our differences. Thus, it is the purity of the heart in doing that counts and not the manner in which it is done.
So if I was asked now to if I would follow Christ, even as I know that it is easier said than done, I would wholeheartedly strive to do so. As the concept of the original solitude tells us, we came from the Father and our end goal is to return to the Father. Since our likeness to Christ brings us neared to the Father, I now realize that following Christ is not a means of escaping, rather a means of getting to the end goal which is to be with the Father.
RSS Feed