Father's Reflection 4.14.24

"You are witnesses of these things…” Jesus calls us witnesses of His life, death, and resurrection from the dead and of the message of repentance. The problem is that our lives as Christians often don’t look any different than anyone who doesn’t have faith. If our faith hasn’t made an obvious, positive difference in our life that stands out from loving non-believers, why would anyone be interested in what we believe?

Using a crude metaphor, I mentioned in my Easter homily that Christians can be like clear glasses of milk with a bunch of unstirred chocolate syrup at the bottom. We have received the “chocolate syrup” of Holy Spirit by our baptism and confirmation, but He has yet to be “stirred up” to transform us into Jesus Himself. We can be nice and generous people without Holy Spirit, and perhaps too often we Christians end up being more harsh, judgmental, greedy, proud, etc, than our non-religious counterparts!

To make this a little more tangible, I prayed over what some differences might look like between someone who lives according to the standards and spirit of the world, and those who continue to allow themselves to be transformed by an encounter with Jesus Christ and His Spirit.

 Notes:
1. These are generalities and ideals that I have noticed, not a guaranteed check-list. 
2. It will not look the same for different states of life, like the parents of young children and retired empty nesters.
3. Many of the qualities in the left column are the fruit of hurts and wounds that we carry, often from an early age. As we receive more healing through Jesus’ mercy, we transition more into the qualities of the right column
4. Don’t be discouraged by this list! Jesus wants transform us: it’s not a matter of just trying harder...Keep asking Him for more of His Spirit!

 

Qualities of a Life not led by the Spirit	Qualities of a Life in the Spirit
Self-reliance, “self-determination”	Radical surrender, docility to the Spirit and God’s will
Self-willed/directed	Obedient/docile to God, the Church, & rightful authority
Self-preservation out of fear of self-sacrifice; non-commitment	Generous in giving without counting the cost; Life of being faithful to commitments, big and small
Self-gratification/seeking, as through sensual pleasures and over-indulgence in entertainment	Life centered on frequenting the sacraments of the Eucharist and reconciliation and service to others
Preoccupation with self and self-affirmation	Receiving Jesus’ love in daily prayer, which leads to being other-oriented
Self-isolation	Regularly engaging in relational activities, such as sharing meals, playing games, and good conversation with friends and family
Ruled by disordered emotions, like anger, lust, resentment, fear, sadness, and selfishness	Shows obvious fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, chastity, etc
Propagates hurts they have received on to others	Lives as an agent of forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing
Oscillates between extreme emotional highs and lows (note: this is not in reference to those experiencing mental illness)	Has a disposition of peace and stability in both highs and lows that are more moderated
Self-guarded, even with people who have earned trust	Vulnerable in healthy, trusting relationships
Hyper-activity and lives at a frenetic, hurried pace; constantly preoccupied with work	Having a simple, unhurried disposition and a schedule ordered toward the most important things, including rest in the Lord and relationships
Restless, distracted in relationships and tasks	Peaceful, attentive to the person and task before them
Chooses to live amidst auditory and visual noisiness and hyperstimulation, crowding out the interior life	Life is punctuated with silence and recollection when possible