It is well known that there are sacrifices in order to follow Christ.
“Take up your cross and follow me.” -Matthew 16:24
But I can tell you that most of the time I have no idea what that really means. Small sacrifices? Big Sacrifices? Somewhere in between?
What if I really don’t want to do what the Lord is asking? All these thoughts can be a little daunting and make me avoid or become sullen in accomplishing His will.
The Lord instructed me in these questions as I meditated on a short passage from the Gospel of Matthew.
The Scribe
And a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou shalt go.”
And Jesus saith to Him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests: but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.”
-Matthew 8:19-20; Douay Rheims
My Contemplation
I placed myself into the scene. Taking the place of the scribe.
As I run up behind Jesus, I reach out to get His attention. Just as my finger tips touch His sleeve, He shows me all that keeps me divided from Him.
The small and big things. The small and large struggles. Strengths and weaknesses. The mortifications, purifications, and sacrifices that would need to be made.
It is here that I feel a vice grip around my heart. My heart hesitates and as soon as it does, I am back as myself holding gently onto the sleeve of Jesus. I fall to my knees as the heaviness of my hesitant heart weighs me down.
Like a heavy rock was placed in it….
There is no response from the scribe. No answers? Comments? Decisions? Sarcastic remarks? Just nothing? A hesitation at the words of Jesus? Or did the scribe actually follow Jesus?
How fitting and true this is for me. When I go to Mass I am like the scribe. Full of enthusiasm and willingness. A willing spirit bursting at the seams. I feel acutely those words:
“I will follow Thee, Lord, anywhere.”
But when I walk out of the Mass, back into the world, my heart hesitates at even the smallest inconvenience. Balks at the smallest obstacle. Wavers at the slightest difficulty.
How To Keep an Enthusiastic and Willing Heart
Scripture Meditation
Meditating on scripture daily allows the Lord to speak to us. His word is a living word, and though it was written many many years ago, it has never failed to apply to my life here and now. It allows God to guide us in our service to Him and provide the certainty we need to perform that service willingly and with a renewed spirit.
Take some time this week to mediate on your favorite scripture passage.
Pray For These Gifts Specifically
I know often forget this one. Most of the time I think it has to be me to do it, instead of turning everything, and I mean everything, over to the Lord.
Ask the Lord specifically for these gifts. It does not have to be fancy. Something like this is enough:
Lord, please grant me the graces of enthusiasm and a willing heart to do your will today. Amen.
Short and sweet.
Take some time to ask the Lord for the specific graces you need to serve Him.
Ask the Holy Mother to Intercede For You
The Blessed Virgin is the epitome of an enthusiastic and willing heart. Her Fiat being the greatest, “Yes!” ever said, aside from the “Fiat!” of our Lord during His Agony in the Garden.
Look to her for guidance, support, and help.
Take some time to ask Our Mother for help in serving her Divine Son enthusiastically and willingly.
Start Spiritual Direction
I have found Spiritual Direction to be particularly helpful in keeping myself enthusiastic and willing in doing the work the Lord wants me doing. It provides a great deal of clarity, understanding, and wisdom concerning how the Lord is working in my life. It helps me discern where my time and energy is best spent with the help of an experienced guide.
Start praying that the Lord will provide you with a Spiritual Director that will help you on your path towards Him.
There will be many sacrifices that need to be made on the road to salvation. Something I am definitely not good at is sacrificing, willingly. It is more like I am a pouting toddler, who eventually comes around, dragging me feet to do the task at hand.
But I can draw strength and fortitude from the life of my Lord, especially from His Passion and Death. He did not hesitate to die for me, I can strive not to hesitate at His call. I can do my best to keep my heart open and ready to serve Him.
When the Lord calls you, don’t hesitate to answer Him! Instead, run joyfully after Him with a heart full of enthusiasm and willingness!
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
How do you handle penance and mortification? Is the Lord calling you to something that makes you hesitate just a bit? How do keep an enthusiastic and willing spirit when it gets hard?
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Interested in Spiritual Direction? I found mine here!