Find Rest In Him
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
~ Come, Thou long expected Jesus
I have written about this so often that, at times, I feel like a broken record. Fear is a major force in our lives at one time or another. If we do not get a grip on our fear and learn how to deal with it, we can become crippled emotionally and/or spiritually. Our sins generally add to the level of fear in our lives.
We may not like to admit it and we might pretend like our sins do not bother us. However, our souls have much to say in our lives and if we live in sin, our souls will have more anxiety and fear because our souls know that our sins cannot only cripple us, they can also damage us so severely as to sever our relationship with God. When that happens, we are in fear of losing the destination of heaven.
Jesus is the person who can free us from our fears. Turn to Him when you find yourself trembling in fear. He can give you the strength that you need to face anything. Jesus can also free us from our sins. That is one of the reasons that He gave the apostles the grace to forgive sins. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was established by Jesus as an opportunity for us to come to God, to confess our guilt and our sorrow, to ask for forgiveness, and to make a firm resolve to amend our lives.
The sacrament is very special and can bring us the forgiveness and healing that we need. If you have not gone to confession in a long time, you are definitely not alone. At the same time, ask yourself what is keeping you away from a special gift established by Jesus Himself. Ask for the grace to return to the sacrament. I think you will be relieved when you hear those words of absolution: concrete evidence of God’s love for you.
FAITH ACTION: Seek God’s forgiveness and forgive others who have wronged you as well.