A Thought

I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the Law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”  Romans 7:21-23

It is not possible to over-think the inner conflict most of us face each day between the “Law of God” which we know to be good, and the instincts which are innate to our being.  We are hard-wired to survive, so we seek out for things that will not only enable us to survive but to also thrive.  We strive to assimilate ourselves into our environment.  To fit in?  To get along?  To remain largely anonymous so as not to draw too much attention to ourselves? 

Whatever our answers may be, St. Paul points out what he believes to be universal.  Actually like with most of us, we believe that if something delights us or bothers us, surely these same things delight or bother others.  But we also must see that we all face conflicts to one degree or another, and these conflicts begin within ourselves.  We know what is good and right and moral, but we also know we have our own sense and system of what is good and right and moral.  Largely subjective, we pursue these things because we want them.

Yet we are taught by The Word that we must reorder our priorities in such a way that we first “seek the Kingdom of God” and find “delight in the Law of God”; then Jesus assures us that “these things will be added to you” (the things we truly need).  This is to say that if The Lord and His Law is our first priority, we will discover how near at hand evil really is.  We will also, however, be more apt to make the right choices for ourselves, our families, and most importantly, our God.

It is not easy, of course.  We are distracted too easily because this world offers so much – and much of it good.  Too much of it, however, is not so good and has the capacity to separate us from our Lord’s covenant.  So we must never let our guard down.  We must find our “delight in the Law of God” through the written Word, the Sacraments of the Church, prayer, and the other means of grace at our disposal.  And make no mistake; it takes real effort, for the goodness of the Law of the Lord will not fall into our laps.  It is given when we seek, it is provided when we ask, and it is open to us when we knock on the right doors. 

Blessings,

Michael