“Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy.” – 2 Kings 5
I think this passage reflects something I frequently struggle with; the desire to have an “easy” way out. When I am wrestling with a particular vice or habit, I ask God that it be taken from me, but sometimes I fail to recognize that the grace given to me is help being offered. To make full use of this grace we must try (or “firmly resolve”) to use it and do the thing pleasing to God. We as Catholics desire God’s will but often God’s will is not clear to us. With this in mind, we must use what little ability for self-control and self-denial we posses to aim for what we discern to be God’s will in our lives. I work every day to improve at surrendering my own life to God, but this adjustment in intention is not an excuse to stop trying.
With the weight of consistent external pressures, the temptation to give up and give in is always present. As we get closer to an internal understanding of the strength God gives us through the sacraments and His grace, our expected contribution of effort grows and yet we are increasingly ready to face challenges, through the grace of God. Our ability to recognize our own brokenness while learning our role in God’s plan for our salvation, and doing our best to fulfill that role, offers the ultimate freedom and comfort.
I pray that I can fulfill my role as worthily as possible and that I can reap the rewards of God’s work in my life.
— Anonymous