Decisions That Are Difficult for Us to MakeSample

Let us run in courageous peace toward our purpose

Jesus, through obedience, came to have a name that is above every name; God wants us to obey Him, embrace the name He gave us before the foundation of the world, and, in a sense, be the person we were always meant to be. To move forward courageously toward our purpose, two things give us the peace that produces courage: obedience to the truth God has put in us and the assurance that God loves us and is with us. Perhaps the bravest people are not the most bombastic, but the people who choose to obey the truth God put in their hearts and enjoy His company.

At the Last Supper, where they celebrated Easter, four cups had to be had, each signifying something special. But if we examine the biblical text, we see that only three cups were drunk, and then came the hymns; the last cup was expected, which, according to Jewish tradition, closed the celebration but did not arrive at that time. But then, Jesus, embracing the will of his Father, took and gave us that fourth cup by dying on the cross for us; that is why He said that that wine would be his blood shed for us, and He agreed to drink from the cup that his Father gave Him.

When we embrace God's will, we decide to take up a cross that becomes a possibility for others; in a sense, it is to die empty, to give everything for a worthwhile cause with the certainty that resurrection follows every death and that everything we offer in the name of God will bear fruit that will last beyond our short stay on earth. To decide to die empty is to seek to surrender our potential in this life. By consecrating ourselves to God's will, He leads us to a fulfilling life and invites us to be part of the universe He is building.

Jesus gave us a precious example of self-denial, almost the opposite of self-rejection. In self-rejection, you despise your voice, your feelings, and your needs. You don't feel worthy of being respected and loved. You keep quiet or disguise your needs and feelings. In denial, you rise above yourself and leave for a greater good that is aligned with your heart's eternal longings by embracing a divine plan born from the Creator of the universe.

Let us pray together: God, I want to live passionately for you; I know that behind obedience awaits me the greatness that goes beyond fame or power. I long to be a part of your will that is done in the universe, and I want you to use me to make it a reality on this earth that desperately needs it. Amen.