Growing up, there was nothing I hated more than someone
telling me that my parents wanted what was best for me right after being told
me I wasn’t allowed to have a certain toy or go to one of my friends’ houses.
It made it even worse when my parents were the ones reminding me that they only
had my best interests in mind. Like most young children, this is where a
tantrum would unfold.
“That’s not fair.” “I never want to see you again.” “I hate
you.” These are just a handful of the things I would scream to voice my
displeasure. It seemed every time I didn’t get what I wanted, there was a
reason for it. I was tired of hearing the same things over and over again,
especially as I got older. In my mind, the older I became, the more acceptable
certain behaviors would become and the more likely I would get what I wanted.
While this was true to some extent, it certainly wasn’t a universal rule of
thumb. I kept hearing the same things over and over again.
Eventually, as I entered high school and my spiritual faith
came into my life again, the age-old things I was told as a child merely turned
into “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12) or “Treat others the
same way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31) . I kept hearing the same
things continually, but never had a reason why they were important except that
they were supposed to help keep me out of trouble. Most of the time, they
seemed to have no effect. I rarely if ever saw the fruits from obeying them, at
least not immediately.
As my spiritual life has matured over the past few years,
I’ve encountered a lot of similar situations. Often times, I’ll be praying
through scripture and read the same common phrases over and over again. In
times of desolation, my household brothers and mentors will tell me the same
things continually. In my head, I sometimes think, “Yeah, that’s great. I’m
glad that worked out for you, but I’ve tried it a million times and it has
gotten me nowhere.” Extreme desolation has even led me to wonder if the path
I’m on is even worth following.
While praying one afternoon, all these phrases and scripture
verses kept running through my head. Jesus then led me into the gospels to
where He had uttered some of these same phrases to his apostles and those
desiring to follow him. Suddenly, pieces started coming together that were
always right there, but never clicked in my head.
Jesus repeatedly says
similar things not because He has nothing else
to say, but because He has nothing better to say. That’s an extremely
important distinction. God became man in the form of Jesus because He wanted us
to understand that He could relate with us. During times of desolation, we’re
not on an island. Evening during times of consolation, Jesus is with us. This
is why it becomes so important that we ask God for help during times of trial
but not forget to praise Him when He answers our prayers.
So why does Jesus constantly repeat himself? Again, it’s not
because Jesus had a list of nice things He was supposed to share and once He
reached the end of the list, He just decided to start over again. The truth is
Jesus knew how fundamentally important His word was to His people. Think back
to a professor or teacher you’ve had who has said multiple times, “You’re going
to see this again on the final.” That’s usually a pretty good sign that you’ll
need to remember the information and, because it is repeated in class, you’re
more likely to remember it.
Jesus’s word is transformative, but only to the extent in
which those who receive it are willing to respond. When we allow it to
penetrate our hearts, we become new bodies set apart to do God’s will. Those
who aren’t receptive of His word will go on with their lives as normal.
Roy Hall, former Ohio State and NFL wide receiver, put it
best when speaking to the men of Saint Paul’s Outreach during Barbasol Men’s
Night a few weeks ago. He said, “Your thoughts will always lead to your
feelings and emotions. Emotions always lead to decisions. Decisions lead to
actions. Actions, over the course of time, are habits. Habits, over time,
develop your heart, your character. Your character has everything to do with
your destiny. [It determines] what you end up doing [and] who you are a
person.”
This a striking representation of the effect Jesus’s word
has in our lives. He repeats many of the same sentiments so they will
eventually become our thoughts. Just as when you hear a professor repeat
himself several times in a lecture, when Jesus says the same thing several times,
it eventually begins to repeat itself in our minds. This is where the
transformation begins. Those thoughts, which are the word of God, inscribe
themselves in our hearts, forever changing our feelings and emotions. We become
a selfless people. We become a compassionate people. We become God’s people. This
new heart changes our decisions and moves us to act in a different way. As we
continue to act in the way God has called us, we form godly habits. We no
longer need to think about every decision to determine if that is what God
wants us to do. It becomes a part of who we are and we simply act upon it.
This formula is how saints are created, but it doesn't
happen overnight. It doesn't just happen when we are baptized or confirmed. We
become more attune to the Spirit in our lives which makes us more receptive of
where God is calling us, but it isn't a magical pill. There are no “instant”
saints. There are, however, saints who have battled through periods of
desolation, temptation, doubt, fear, you name it. What sets these men and women
apart was they opened themselves to what Jesus was saying to them and acted.
The next time you read a scripture verse for 100th
time, don’t just assume you know exactly what God is saying. There’s always
something else to learn. If nothing else, reflect upon what that verse is
saying and ask yourself if you live your life in accordance to it. There’s a
reason scripture is the divine word of God. Jesus comes right out and tells us
what fundamental principles are necessary in order to become the best disciples
possible and eventually become saints. He wants His word to be inscribed in our
hearts so that we can be transformed in such a way that everything we say and
everything we do points back to Him.
