Today’s Readings:
Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28;
Daniel 3:52-56;
John 8:31-42
Doing the right thing is not easy. Often it creates a conflict within us. We want to do the right thing. But the right thing does not always feel rewarding, at least not at first. The “boys of Babylon” (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were caught between life and death in their decision to either worship a golden statue or worship the one true God. They had no conflict in their heart because the truth about God had set them free. Jesus says that conflict about choosing between good and evil comes from our attachment to sin. If you see sin as an option, you will always be a slave. The one whom the Son has set free (from sin) is free indeed, even from the threat of death.
What are some of those sources of conflict in our lives today and why do we consider evil as an option? We are lured by:
The love of money (which comes in the form of “needs”);
The love of fame and power (which disguises as need for influence);
We yearn for attention (which is a mask for our craving for acceptance);
We are pressured to conform to worldly standards of happiness (“be rich and married”);
We are afraid of being labelled and stigmatized (unmarried and unserious);
We fear to be alone.
The Devil /Satan knows our deepest desires and he uses them against us:
He lures us to sin with money;
He lures us to the pleasure of the sins of the flesh;
He gives us false confidence with fame and popularity;
He makes marriage the yardstick of social acceptance;
He causes us to bow down to the idols of material things;
He isolates us from healthy friends and spiritual support with distrust and bad relationships.
We should take a decision no longer to be slaves to the devil /Satan and his cohorts and antics. We should seek God in the sacraments and give God’s word a home in our hearts. We should be careful with the content we consume. They can either edify or consume us. Only God’s word edifies. Other contents should be consumed with care. Remember, above all, that we are children of God. Refuse to be a slave to anything. I pray that we all find the strength to say “No” to the manipulation of sin and surrender our hearts, mind and body to God alone, in Jesus name, Amen.
JUDE-MARY OWOH
Prayer:
Lord, set us free from sin and addictions of every kind, in Jesus name.
Bless us with all the is necessary to take care of myself, family and others, in Jesus name.
Let us bow to no one and nothing else but YOU, for YOU ALONE are our Lord and God for ever, and ever. Amen
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