Midterm grades are out. I hope you have done well and if you didn’t get the results that you thought you would, no worries; you still have time
How do we get where we are going? First, we need to have a destination or a goal. For most people, these are things such as completing school, getting that career you want, finding that special someone to share your life with, having children and having a purposeful and prosperous life.
Secondly, we need a plan. Having each of our goals become a reality becomes a way of life. That way of life we choose will affect us and the ones we are in relationship with on a daily basis and is also an example to others.
Thirdly, we must take action. If I have goals and a plan and don’t put it into action, our goals are never going to be realized.
So, let’s talk about the action we need to take in order to achieve the goals in life. Perhaps you may have noticed I didn’t talk about the end goal of life, which is reaching eternity with our God.
I asked random people in the past two weeks what were some of their goals and the ones that I outlined above were frequent responses. None said eternity.
I thought I should address this issue with you this week because the fall season reminds me of that moment in life when, poetically, fall represents the final days before the death of winter.
The seasons of life are just as beautiful as the seasons of the year and when you look outside the window, you are quite aware that the winter is near. The temperatures are lower, the plant life becomes dormant and the crisp air bites us as we walk about.
So, why have we not thought about the winter during spring and summer? We may think of it during the hottest days of summer in hopes of getting some relief; but, overall, we never think about it until this time of year.
That is the same with viewing eternity, isn’t it? We don’t think of it because it is far off, or at least statistically, it is far away. The hottest days that cause us to think about winter are like the burdens and complications of life that make us so uncomfortable that we look at the end questions and begin to contemplate that.
You probably have the road map for the goals you have set up with regards to this life, but what are you doing to secure the destination of your immortal soul?
While it is the springtime of life for most readers, it is also a necessary question to ask to have a complete life.
Remember the encounter that Jesus, John, James and Peter had in the transformation story? It gave a great revelation about the connection between law and prophet. There was a deep knowledge and understanding of what was, is and will be. So much so that the apostles didn’t want to come off the mountaintop.
Jesus said that they had to leave that place and go down the mountain to share the good news. That was the action necessary to enact the plan of salvation.
We have to act to get results and the way we act affects what we get. For example, let’s ask, was the midterm a little too difficult? Did you cheat? Did you grade a paper a little more or less harshly because you have a prejudice? It goes on and as much as we don’t like to admit it, the fallen state of humanity says it will continue. These actions follow us across the seasons of life.
Living a moral life is not easy, but practicing the little things will make it easier as the bigger things come in our life. If you start to look at the end result of life and see that what we do now, morally, is going to affect the eternal, we will be able to use a plan of action that brings all of the other goals to fruition.
We need to remember that the grades we get in college, the career we get in life, the family life we build will be a house built on sand if we don’t center our life on the Gospel message and use it as a moral compass.
The moral compass that holds us firm is the message of Christ. When the occasion arises to be moral or immoral, choose to act morally. It may be difficult and your reputation with your peers may be changed, but your character with God will be reinforced. You can fool your professor, parents, students, and loved ones but you can’t fool God.
ROB LOPEZ
