EVER since the story of Abel and Cain, the idea of having to do our best has
been consistently inculcated in us, since that is actually the law that rules
us. We therefore have to avoid—and if we cannot avoid them, then to remove or
at least to minimize—traces and tendencies to be lazy, complacent, and, worst,
self-satisfied.
In the Book of Genesis, the first murder took place soon after our first
parents were driven out Paradise. Cain, the first child of Adam and Eve, became
jealous of his brother, Abel, because his offering was not accepted by God
while that of Abel was.
The reason for the rejection? The Bible narrative speaks of God’s words to
Cain: "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast? If
you do right, won't you be accepted? But if thou do not do right, sin is
crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."
(Gen 4,6-7)
In short, Cain’s heart was not with God when he made his offering, a fact that
already gives us the idea of what primarily would comprise doing and giving our
best. It’s the intention, the motive, and not so much what and how we are doing
and giving. These latter would come only as a consequence of the former.
And the motive of our offering that actually covers everything that we are,
that we have and that we do, should be love for God who is our Creator and
Father. It should be to give glory to him.
It’s a matter of giving our whole heart, the very core of our being, to God, from
whom it comes and to whom it belongs. Let’s be convinced that our true home is
when we are with God, and not when we are simply by ourselves, making our own
world.
St. Paul reiterates this truth when he said: “Whether you eat and drink, or
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10,31) We need to convince
ourselves that this attitude is what would make us truly happy and free.
We need to savor Christ’s words when he said: “Seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Mt 6,33)
Following these words obviously requires some self-denial and sacrifice, and
Christ already warned us about this. With God’s grace, we just have to live
those words.
We have to see the great wisdom of what Christ also said about losing and
gaining one’s life, and make it the basis of our over-all attitude of hope as
we go through the adventure of life. “He who finds his life will lose it, and
he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10,39)
Many other similar expressions of divine logic can be found in the gospels.
“Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal
life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mt 19,29-30)
All these truths, in their proper order, need to be broadcast again, since they
are practically forgotten by many of us. We seem to be pursuing only our own
will over that of God, thinking that we would be truly happy and free that way.
The main idea is to see to it that our intention is good, that it is for the glory
of God, and that if we start straying from a God-oriented intention, we should
rectify it as soon as possible.
Doing our best and giving it our best shot begins here. We have to be wary of
the now many ways to delude ourselves that we are doing our best because we
seem to be driven by passion, or what we are doing is technically perfect and
advanced, etc.
Let’s remember Christ’s words: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole
world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Lk 9,25) Let’s be guided by these words
and learn how to resist the many and very subtle worldly allurements that can
nullify this divine lesson.
It’s actually a most urgent and challenging task we have to do now—how to learn
to resist the many addicting ways that subvert the true order of things when
doing things and doing them as best as we can.
This basic and indispensable truth of our faith should penetrate our minds and
hearts so immersed now in worldliness and technology!
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