One way to approach life is – every so often – to take a moment to articulate exactly what you’re planning on doing in the short-to-immediate future. Then, start that sentence with “If the Lord wills it.” For example:
- “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to work as hard and ably as I can today and then go home and spend time with my family.”
- “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to spend all weekend watching sports and eating snacks.”
- “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to yell at this stranger over the Internet while neglecting the household chores.”
And so on.
This exercise was inspired by the first of today’s readings, from James: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit’ – you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow . . . Instead you should say, ‘If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.'”
Now, articulating what you’re doing by putting “If the Lord wills it” may – in some cases – feel just fine. For example, I work honestly and accurately, and have tried (with varying success) to maintain a work/life balance that lets me spend time with my family. And thus the first “If the Lord wills it” sentiment of “I’m going to work as hard and ably as I can and spend time with my family” feels pretty right.
But the other two examples above certainly don’t seem like something I’d be comfortable saying on the face of it. The third one – about yelling at people on the Internet – doesn’t have anything redemptive or Christlike to it, so asking for the Lord’s approval actually feels uncomfortable to me.
Now, I could probably rejigger the “watch sports and eat snacks” example to something like, “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to relax this weekend to refresh me enough to be a good provider, husband, and father in the week to come.” That may seem like cheating, as if I’m trying to put one over on the Lord. Yet, I’m not sure it is. First, by trying to put things in Godly terms, it can help me understand that certain aspects of modern life can be made holy by keeping God in our hearts, minds, and words.
Second, it may help me curb my worser instincts by trying to come up with a good reason why I’m doing what I’m doing; sports are not inherently evil, resting is good, and recharging my batteries does make me a better husband and father. By my rephrasing it that way, perhaps I’ll give God a bit of extra leverage to help me avoid gluttony when I reach for another snack amid my relaxation.
Also, attempting to articulate things from multiple angles in our minds can help us realize which aspects of a seemingly Godly life may be drifting from what the Lord would want us to do. For example, “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to buy Christmas presents for my family” certainly seems great . . . but it may actually be a problem if it’s identical to “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to buy things my family doesn’t need that we can’t afford, rather than donating extra money to charity this holiday season.”
However, there’s another aspect of this sentiment that should give us pause regardless. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (from Psalm 49) says that a person “can see that wise men die, and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away . . .” In other words, both the wise and the stupid shall ultimately depart from this world. The Lord does not immediately punish everyone who does wrong. In fact, often it seems that most of those who do wrong are not punished in this world.
Thus, someone could foolishly say, “If the Lord wills it, I’m going to rob this bank.” You probably won’t be struck by lightning, even if you are committing a serious sin.
Thus, even if we articulate in our hearts and minds that we seek to do the Lord’s will, even if we try to recast our thoughts and deeds to be pleasing to the Lord, it is wise to understand that all of existence continues because the Lord does not wish to compel it to be otherwise. We should remain aware that the failure of the Lord to act does not mean God actively approves or disapproves of our actions. God need not reward us for trying to practice Holy lives because such lives are already blessed, and will be infinitely so in Heaven; we may not be punished in this world because we already know what the punishment is in the next, and God fervently wants us to repent and return to goodness on our own.
So, we should continue ever to avail ourselves of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion to repair, maintain, and strengthen our connection to the Light. We should continue to deepen our faith and understanding, to ensure our thoughts and deeds are Christlike. And we should continue to maintain active presences in our Christian communities, so we can be helped and help others stay on the path to righteousness. It’s a good, proven way to live, and it can form the basis for a happy, rewarding path for now and for years to come . . . if the Lord wills it, of course.
Today’s Readings: Jas 4:13-17; Ps 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11; Mk 9:38-40
