Reflect

Thomas Merton, a monk and famous writer in the field of spirituality, said, "There is only one happiness: to please God.  Only one sorrow, to be displeasing to Him."

If we live to please God we free ourselves from the cares and worries that press in on us.  Many of our cares come from our trying to measure up to others' expectations of us, such as whether they like me or not.  Living in faith involves my pleasing God, not God meeting my needs.

If I can only get God at the centre of my life, God who knows everything about me and wants only good for me, then I would simplify my life greatly.  I wouldn't have to worry about what others think of me or wonder what to do in particular tricky or unpleasant situations because if I act the way I think God would want me to, I'll find a positive way of responding.

That said, it's not achieved without a lot of effort.  Impatience, selfishness, even busyness, can upset the grandset of schemes and intentions - but we simply have to keep on keeping on making the effort to focus on God.  God doesn't move.  God's always there.  I just have to keep coming back to focus on God.

Any transformation in me will come, in the end, not from my willing it but from God giving it to me.  Focus!