“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.” ~ Walt Whitman
In our lives, we need to learn the things that are most important. To do so, we have to be able to scrutinize and discern so that we only allow the good to come into our lives and shy away from that which is not good. If we are going to discern properly, we must pick the proper benchmarks upon which to compare what we evaluate.
If our benchmark is the values of the world, we will allow a lot of things into our lives that can do us harm. If, on the other hand, our benchmark is the values of the Kingdom of God, we will view things through the eyes of God. Easy to say, difficult to do.
St. Paul was the one who said it best: The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We are all so willing to draw closer to God. Willing, that is, until we realize that it involves sacrifice on our part. When we are faced with easy or difficult choices, our human nature opts for easy. When we are faced with reward or obstacle, our natural inclination is to choose reward.
However, the reward might be the reward of the world. The obstacle might just be the sacrifice it takes to do something that is right. The easy choice might involve cheating or hurting others. The difficult choice might involve being ridiculed by others for doing the right thing.
If we are having a tough time determining what we should say or do, look not to the world for answers. Look inward, instead, to the soul. Our soul will guide us. Our soul yearns for the Lord with the same intensity that our physical self yearns for the rewards of the world. If we listen to our soul, we will be able to make the right decision.
Whitman says it best: “Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.”
FAITH ACTION: Continue to cultivate a strong prayer life so that you may be able to discern what you see and hear.