Your Will On Earth
Somewhere along the way into our adulthood, we become lost in the pursuit of a “better life” for me. It’s always about me and how I can get ahead in my job and my life – recognised, rewarded, promoted, wealthy, successful, and important. In the process, we lose sight of what matters. We become so fixated on me that we cannot see anything else. We become our own “God”, and we chase the things that we think will sustain our “God-ness”. Most certainly, we lose any spiritual connection to the real God.
We get to a point where we “pray” to God, but our prayers are nothing more than asking for the things we need – it’s all about me: “please help me get…that new job; that promotion at work; that pay-rise; that success; that mega-wealth; that healing and good health;…”. Sometimes we might even “pray” for others, but once again it’s asking for things: “please heal my child, spouse, parents…; please make my spouse happy; please bring my child a better partner; please make that candidate the leader of our country rather than the other candidate;…”. Our “prayers” amount to nothing more than: “please give me this or that”. And when our “prayers” are not answered, we decide that God does not listen to us; God does not care. So we stop “praying” and ultimately stop believing in God, and write spirituality off as naïve and unrealistic.
To justify our beliefs, it’s easy to sardonically ask: “what has God done for me lately?” In our arrogance, we come to believe that what we have in life comes from our self-determinism. My decisions, determination and perseverance got me to where I am, and will get me to where I’m going. Wonderful! But here’s some food for thought: “what have you done for God lately?”
Spirituality is about our relationship with God. As we know, a relationship involves two parties who communicate and interact with each other on mutually beneficial things. The health and wellbeing of the “union” is more important than the respective individuals in the “union”. However, if we dominate the relationship and drive all communication and activity to serving ourselves, the other party in our relationship will stop participating, even if they stick around in the background because it’s too painful for them break away from us. Sadly, in our pursuit for a better life for ourselves, we suck the life out of everything else, and then we have the audacity to ask: “but what have you done for me lately?” We become so narcissistically selfish that we blame everyone and everything else for the lack in our lives.
God does not ask anything from us; why would God do that when God is everything? That said, God does instruct us, and the instructions are simple: love one another as you love yourself, and do the will of God on earth, which is to live (truly live) the graces of love, peace, patience, respect, kindness, gentleness, cleanliness, self-control, self-sacrifice, harmony, etc. The issue is, we do not listen to the instructions, and we certainly do not live the will of God on earth.
In our tiny, ignorant minds we think that the greatness of God means that God will give us anything we ask for. Sometimes we might even venture into thinking that if we are faithful to God, we will receive more favour from God. So it’s simply a matter of faithfully attending worshipful services regularly, praying, and occasionally giving cognitive consideration to rational beliefs that we love, care, and so on. After all, we regularly donate to charitable causes, and sometimes give money to the beggar on the street corner. So, what’s the problem? Where’s my reward? Surely the great God of the entire universe could muster support for “poor little old me”?
In truth, God will not bring us anything in this world. God is not of this world (thankfully). It’s up to us – through our personal choices and actions – to understand the will of God and to live that will on earth, through every thought, emotion, and action we make. If we want God in our life, we have to live God’s will. We bring God into our own lives; God does not impose on us. Rather than hoping for God’s “miraculous magic wand” to wave over us and transform our lives, we should change ourselves. If we are getting the wrong results from this life, we are likely making the wrong decisions, thinking the wrong thoughts, feeling the wrong emotions, and behaving in the wrong ways towards others. Our life is about actions and consequences – we get what we give (or don’t give). Remember, everything is a relationship, where the “union” is bigger and stronger than the individual in that union.
So start by examining yourself. If you’re looking for or expecting something better than this, be the “better" you’re looking for. Think, feel and act in more constructive ways (aligned to the loving will of God), and make sure you’re doing it for the world around you rather than for your own selfish needs and desires. For example: if you don’t want to be angry, stop inviting anger into your life. Stop trying to convert and change foolish people – let them go – and don’t choose to be angry about their foolishness. Don’t make others angry and then react angrily when they bring anger into the relationship. Stop thinking, feeling, and acting with anger – it’s a simple choice.
Finally, if you want to pray, then stop thinking of prayer as asking for earthly things for yourself. Stop being your ego in a material world, and start being your soul in a spiritual relationship with God.
Prayer is not the Medieval philosophy of “petitioning or asking”. The Medieval period lasted from the late fifth century CE to late fifteenth century CE – possibly one of the worst times in human history known also as the “Dark Ages”, when the “church” (i.e. particularly the “Roman Catholic” church) was a socio-political institution that dominated the world, and worked to make people feel inferior, fearful, and helpless. The “church” indoctrinated humans to think of themselves as “born sinners” who had to ask God (through the “church”) for forgiveness, which would bring a “better life”.
Prayer should be named something else. Think of prayer as “communion” – not the Christian worshipful Eucharistic act, but the act of sharing intimate thoughts and feelings with God in a spiritual relationship. The purpose of the communion is for you to interact with God and receive instruction (enlightenment) from God to live the will of God on earth.
If you insist on making prayer about asking, then ask in this simple way: “God, please instil your spirit in me to guide and strengthen me to think, feel, and act in ways that will make me an instrument of your will on earth”.
Image: The ancient agora of Athens and the temple of Hepaestus (centre), Athens, Greece. Copyright - Michael Beaton
NOTE: This is a view looking North-West across Athens from the Acropolis. I chose this photo of mine to illustrate how humanity, in proclaiming and celebrating its greatness, places "scars" across the natural landscape of the earth. Just look at that sprawling, concentrated mass of concrete as far as the eye can see. This is the will of humanity on earth - ugly and destructive. This is what we choose over the will of God.
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