Our commitments are no deadweights

WE have to be clear about this point, so indispensable in

our life since one way or another we always enter into some

commitments. Our commitments, whether they be with respect to marriage

or to some other vocational vows and lifelong promises, are no

oppressive burdens but rather earnest manifestations of one’s pure

love.

            They certainly have a weight to be borne, but they

actually are wings that would enable us fly high in our love for God

and ohers.

            To be sure, we are enabled to fulfill them since in the

first place we have a spiritual nature that can transcend the

limitations and changes of our situations and circumstances in life.

            And even before that, we are assured of God’s grace that

is always available in abundance, so that our potency to be faithful

in our commitments can be actualized. Toward this end, we have all the

means to be true to them—doctrine, prayer, sacraments, spirit of

sacrifice, testimonies and examples of many who have been faithful and

generous to their commitments all the way to their death.

            We should not be afraid to enter into commitments. But we

should have the proper dispositions. We need to trust in God’s

providence, strengthen our faith, hope and charity, develop a sporting

spirit in life, avoiding worrying too much when we encounter certain

difficulties or suffer some setbacks in trying to live by our

commitments.

            If we are humble and simple, and react to these

difficulties and trials with faith, everything would just be fine.

Even the negative things that can come our way would be rich sources

of precious lessons and powerful magnets for God’s grace to come to

us.

            Simplicity and humility are very important virtues so that

we can get to see things very objectively and completely. Their

opposites distort things and, worse, in very convincing ways. These

virtues facilitate our seeing things the way God sees them. They

facilitate the workings of faith, hope and charity to take place.

            It’s important also that we regularly renew our

commitments. Human as we are, we always tend to take things for

granted, to fall into complacency, and eventually to forget things.

Worse, we can start justifying our infidelities.

            The renewals of our commitments should be accompanied with

a fresh desire to be more generous in fulfilling them. Commitments as

expressions of love need to grow and grow. They cannot be in a

standstill, for that would be the beginning of a retrogression and

eventual violation.

            We have to find ways for this greater generosity to our

commitment to take place. In this regard, we have to be creative and

versatile, always monitoring the new developments and the changing

circumstances so we can engage our spirit of commitment to them

properly.

            That’s why we need to be flexible and sporty in our

attitude toward our commitment, something that can always be done due

to God’s grace and our spiritual nature. That flexibility will clearly

spur and indicate our growth in our love and commitment.

            In other words, we should have a very positive, go-go

attitude towards all commitments we enter into. We should not get

stranded by the difficulties and possible setbacks. We should just

continue to move on.