it's not what goes in a man

Here's a little reflection from today's gospel...

It's not what goes in a man, but what comes out of him that defiles him. It's not his environment, it's his decisions. The same could be said in reverse. It's not what goes into a man, but what comes out of him that makes him a saint. It would be just a little too easy if all it took was some external practice to be a saint. Even receiving communion every day doesn't make one a saint. It could even be a sacrilege. What makes someone a saint is the DECISIONS he makes every day, what comes out of him. And there's more. A person who refuses to make decisions for his life will always be making excuses for it. I didn't have the money. I didn't have the time. So and so made me do it. I can't do that! Yeah he did it, but my situation is different...

Who wants to be that guy when he has to go before the Lord? "I made you a masterpiece..." Did Mother Teresa have everything going for her when she began to serve the poor? Did her order support her? her local bishop? the Holy See? Of course not! Did she have tons of money? no! tons of connections? not even! She had a decision: "Never again will I allow someone to die without help when I could have helped them."

Those are good decision words: NEVER AGAIN. So are ENOUGH!, or I've had it! I also like, "I'm through" or "It's over!" Have you ever said, "I quit," or "Let's begin," or "It's on," or what about "I do," or "It's go time"? These are some of God's favorite words. Words where a man doesn't just listen to whatever God has to tell him today, but actually DOES SOMETHING TO MAKE HIS LIFE BETTER. This must change, and I must change it. That's the power of the Holy Spirit.

Is there something you've been putting off even though you are pretty sure God wants it. Do yourself a favor: put a gun to your head (in a manner of speaking!), and ask yourself, "If I keep going in this direction, am I going to end up where I want? What would I have to change today to start going in the direction of my deepest desires?" Then GO AND DO THAT... and you will become a saint...

God bless,
Live from your heart,

Scott