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We’ve all made different commitments in life and sometimes they’re quite demanding.
For example, I just spent a week at the beach with my family and watched the commitment it took for my brother and his wife to care for their two year old and four month old daughters.
It meant being up at 3AM warming another bottle, staying inside while others went to the beach, listening to The Wheels on the Bus for the hundredth time, and patiently trying to convince a two year old to wear sunscreen and a hat before going outside.
But if I asked them, is it worth it being a husband, a wife, a parent? Without hesitation, they’d give a resounding, “YES!”
Many of you have made the same commitment to marriage and family. But think of the other commitments that also shape our lives.
You’re a grandparent, a marine, a recovering addict, a college student, a volunteer, a politician, a musician, a sports fanatic, a young professional climbing the company ladder.
These commitments demand huge amounts of our time – they really define our lives – and we allow that because they give us a sense of meaning and purpose.
But there’s one commitment, in particular, that we all must make: a deep, daily commitment to the Lord.
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That’s much easier said than done.
As G.K. Chesterton once said, “It’s not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. Rather, it’s been found difficult and therefore never tried.”
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Why is that? Why is it so hard to follow the Lord?
Jesus wants to be number one.
Among the many commitments that shape our lives – marriage, family, friends, work, sports, leisure and so on – Jesus insists upon consistently coming out on top.
Such a demand requires, at times, a good amount of sacrifice.
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In the Gospel, Jesus encounters several people who want to follow him. “I will follow you, Lord,” one says, “but let me go first and bury my father.”
“I will follow you, Lord,” another says, “but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Two excuses that are unacceptable to the Lord. It’s now or never.
Though Jesus seems strict – too strict, perhaps – his point is clear: he doesn’t want to take second place in our lives.
He must be first.
Anyone who makes excuses as to why they cannot follow him, Jesus says, “is unfit for the kingdom of God.”
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But how many of us – myself included – make excuses as to why we cannot do the Lord’s will?
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By doing the Lord’s will, I mean being present at Mass, having concrete involvement with the poor, praying daily, being active in charity, practicing generosity, forgiving those who wrong us, and having some involvement in ministry.
How many of us have said, “I’m too busy. I’m too tired. I’ll do it tomorrow. I’m afraid to fail. I’m unworthy. I’m weak.”
These are all simply excuses that drop the Lord from first to second place in our lives. It’s only when we fall in love with Jesus that he regains his place of honor.
Loving the Lord makes doing his will sweet, pleasing, and at times, even easy. Perhaps that’s the real challenge for us – falling in love with the Lord.
We live in a world that’s filled with distractions and other commitments where time is of the essence, but being present here today is a sign of our love for Jesus.
Perhaps the question for us to ponder this week is: How we can we love the Lord a little more?
Where is he drawing us deeper or inviting us to follow him?
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Let us pray. “Lord, we have so many different commitments in our lives, so many demands placed upon our time. Help us to love you above all else. Amen.”
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