Read Daniel 7:15-27, Daniel 3:82-87, Luke 21:34-36
“But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life.” (Luke 21:34)
There would be tough times. The Christian life is not a bed of roses; be sure to meet resistance from the world whenever you seek to walk in the light. Nevertheless, as Jesus says, let not your hearts be troubled; let not your hearts be weighed down by worry, anxiety, and the cares of this life.
This is how we gain victory over the devil: by not allowing ourselves to be weighed down by our lack of the riches of this world. If Jesus Christ were so concerned about the cares of this life, he would have fallen for the devil’s temptations. Do not let your heart be weighed down; trust God. No matter how tough things may be, continue to put God first and continue to obey His commandments.
How can we live above worries and the cares of life? Jesus tells us: “Watch at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place.”
Prayer is the Key to avoiding worry. When we don’t pray enough, we begin to carry unnecessary burdens. Remember that song: “What a friend we have in Jesus…” A line in that song says, “Oh, what needless pains we bear, all because we do not carry our burdens to Jesus.”
In other words, why worry when you have Jesus as your friend? You may ask: “I prayed in the past, but things have not changed?” Continue to pray. Jesus says, pray at all times. Pray not because you have problems; pray in obedience to Jesus’s command – at all times, regardless of how things may be for you.
Before the advent of digital photography, pictures were developed from negatives, meaning that photographers had to go into the “darkroom” to produce quality pictures. This fact teaches us something about life: our best days are not before but after the negatives. Sometimes, life forces us into the darkroom, not to punish us but to wash us so that our brightest selves may shine out.
Do not let anything weigh you down. Keep shining. Keep praying. Keep being good!
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, when life is tough, teach me to look beyond the blues and rest knowing that I am always in your hands. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of week 34 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Daniel 7:15-27, Daniel 3:82-87, Luke 21:34-36).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu