Note: The content of the following meditation may require that you return to this meditation several times throughout the week and perhaps even next week during your holy hour before you move on. Spend as much time as necessary on this meditation so that your resolve will become deep, sacrificial, freeing and joyful.
Despite your unworthiness to share in divine life, God chooses you anyway. Remember your sin and its consequences, but from there begin to hear the Voice of the Divine King, calling you to participate fully in His Divine Kingdom. Your participation will be dependent upon the depth of your total and free surrender to God and His Divine will. Are you willing? Can you make the radical and complete choice to choose God and His will without reserve, whatsoever? Here are three steps you need to take to accomplish this goal.
The first step is to hear God call. Failure to hear God call will result in you trying to build His Kingdom on your own. Trying to do so will end in failure. The only way to participate in the building of God’s Kingdom is to listen, understand and respond.
In your prayer, in the depth of your conscience, God is speaking to you. He reveals that His mission is a difficult one, but one that is worth embracing. He will provide you with all you need to follow Him and to fulfill the purpose of your life. He will be with you every step of the way. He will lead you, guide you, teach you, console you and be with you through everything. Your “Yes” will ultimately lead you to the glorious victory over death for yourself and for others. What will you say?
Spend time in silence, pondering the invitation from God to share in His eternal plan for your life. What specifically is He saying to you? (Silent Reflection)
The second step is to say “Yes.” When God calls, He does not reveal every aspect of His perfect plan for your life. He does not show you where you will be led or what you must do. Rather, He asks for your complete trust in faith. At times His plan will be clear, and at times you will need to step out in a completely blind faith. Do you trust God? Especially, do you trust God in times when His invitation is not completely clear to you?
There is great wisdom in saying “Yes” to God. He is the Almighty King of the Universe. It would be foolish to ignore His plan. He is Wisdom above all human wisdom. It would be gravely unintelligent to choose anything other than His perfect plan. He is a God of perfect love and perfect happiness. There is no other way to fulfillment in life other than His plan.
Ponder the wisdom of saying “Yes” to God. No matter what He asks, it is perfectly wise to say “Yes” to Him and to do so immediately, even before you know what He asks. Spend time quietly assenting to the perfect will of God for your life. Say “Yes” over and over in your heart and do not hesitate. Acknowledge that you do not fully know what He asks of you but that the answer still is “Yes.” You may even want to briefly call to mind every possible scenario to which God may lead you, striving to let go of every personal preference you may have. Spend several minutes doing so before moving on.
“Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.” “Let it be done to me according to Your word.” (Silent Reflection)
The third step is “total surrender.” It is not enough to say “Yes” to God once, twice or even thrice. Your total surrender is a lifelong decision that must be deepened with every passing day. Your initial surrender to Him is good and opens the door to a much deeper surrender. Often, when you surrender your life to God, you may do so with hesitancy. You may say “Yes”—and then wait to discover what you just said “Yes” to! When you begin to understand the practical details of your surrender, you may often have second thoughts.
Does God really want me to surrender every aspect of my life? And to do so without reserve and without hesitancy? Indeed, He does. In this meditation, it is essential that you make the choice to be “all in.” Making such a choice means you will never go back on your commitment. Though we all sin and fail at times, your personal resolve must be absolute.
Ponder the depth of your resolve to embrace the will of God with 100% generosity. That means that if God calls you to great suffering, ridicule, maltreatment, physical suffering or humiliation, the answer is “Yes.” Are you willing to accept anything out of love for Christ? Are you willing to follow Him no matter where He leads?
The path to holiness is not first the joy of the Resurrection. That is the end. The path is the Cross. It’s the way of suffering and sacrifice. It’s the road to death and selfless living. This is painful and requires unwavering commitment, especially during difficult and dark moments in life. Are you willing to go all the way to Calvary? Are you willing to die with Christ? Are you willing to love God and others even if your life is filled with bitterness and pain?
Ponder these questions and make the radical choice to completely surrender to the will God no matter what that means. Sometimes the Christian walk is very difficult—do not be surprised. Do not be deterred by the Cross. Put your eyes on the Cross and say “Yes” to Him with all your might. (Silent Reflection)
Introduction to Meditations for Advent
- A New King
- Christ the King
- Total Surrender
- The Need for a Savior
- The Fiat of the Mother of God
- The Visitation of the Mother and the Son of God
Featured Image: Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash