Love is a choice



“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. (Galatians 2:20)

In this self-revealing verse from his letter to the Galatians, Paul reflects on his spirituality by stating that Christ lives in him.

This sounds like a pretty grandiose statement!
How can God live in you?
Sounds bizarre?
Not really!

The Bible speaks about God’s desire to dwell among us on numerous occasions. One of the clearest examples is the following words of Jesus: “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them”. (John 14:23)

Loving God is the most important step towards establishing a deep relationship with God. Love is not a feeling only because feelings change. Love is a choice. The father in the parable of the prodigal son, for example, chose to love his son even after his son squandered half of the father’s wealth. Our love for God must be a conscious choice.

The next step must be creating time to get to know God. Deep and meaningful relationships are strengthened when parties involved chose to spend quality time together. Likewise, our intimacy with God deepens when we get to know Him through His Word – the Holy Scriptures, His work in the life of the church and the experience of Saints and Church Fathers, and finally through our life of prayer.

God desires to dwell among us, but do we have the time and space for God in our life? Clean up the junk that fills your life by eliminating some unproductive activities such as limiting your time on your phone and social media. Next, create a calm and quiet space in your mind and in your heart. Take some time to meditate. Silence your inner voice so that you may be able to hear God’s voice speaking to you.

Invite God to live in you to fill the void in your heart and live the abundant life.

Yours,
Fr. Nareg

Read the Word of God: Today's readings are Galatians 2:20-3:12; Mark 13:24-37

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