For Our Own Good
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
Through Sirach God says to us, “Avoid all evil.” In the Bible, we always find God advising us, warning us, commanding us. Maybe that’s why some people won’t read the Bible. They don’t want to hear about restrictions to their freedom.
God seems to have gotten the reputation of someone who enjoys controlling us and keeping us under his thumb, but that is not why he is always telling us what to do. He just doesn’t want anything harmful to happen to us. Believe it or not he cares. And all that he tells us to do or not to do is for our own good. But like children who won’t listen to their parents we often have to find out for ourselves.
Adam and Eve were the first to ignore God’s orders. And it got us all into trouble. Since then it has become a common practice of people to ignore God and follow their own whims.
Like the person who has had a heart attack and is told by the doctor not to smoke but smokes anyhow, we who already suffer from the effects of sin just go ahead and sin some more. Instead of sticking to the prescriptions which God has given us for a good and healthy soul, we do things that make our souls sicker and weaker.
Do we want a good life? Do we want to go first class? Do we want nothing but the best for ourselves? Then we must listen to God. We must do as he said. He tells us only things that are for our own good. Why? Because he’s our Father – and our Mother.
