Refer everything to God

WE really have to learn how to refer everything to God. This should be like an instinct, an urge that needs to be corresponded. We should always remember that the constant and ultimate parameter of our life is God, since he is the one who sets the final conditions and purpose of our life. He is also the one that takes care of everything, including our mistakes and other negativities that we can encounter in life.

For this, we really should rev up our intellect and will, the primary faculties we have, so that they can actively engage us with God as we go through the different events and situations in life. They are the faculties that would spark and keep our faith, hope and charity alive and kicking. They are the ones that are supposed to direct the other faculties and powers we have.

Obviously, we have make full use of our other faculties—our imagination, our memory, down to our emotions and passions and even our instincts—for this purpose of engaging and connecting us fully and constantly with God.

We should be careful to avoid letting our human faculties and powers to be fueled only by things of nature, like the play of our biological elements, or by our worldly and temporal affairs, and much less by our own selves, our own interests.

We should try that they are always on the move but properly directed, avoiding the state of idleness which is always a danger to us. We need to see to it that our spiritual faculties—our intelligence and will—are in good control of our other faculties.

We have to realize that God is always intervening in our lives. We should be constantly perceptive of this reality and figure out how best we can go along with his will and ways. Thus, we have to try our best to know the intricacies of God’s will by meditating on the gospel regularly, by praying and always having the attitude of looking for God, wanting to do his will, etc.

When we encounter situations where we do not know how to relate them to God, the very least thing we have to do is to pray, making acts of faith and love. Meditating on the psalms, for example, can give us good insights on how to relate things to God.

Psalms 24 and 25, for example, give us an idea of what attitude we ought to have and of how to deal with God when we are in the dark as to how to relate things to God.

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?,” Psalm 24 asks. “Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.” (3-4)

With these words, somehow we are given an idea of the conditions that would enable to get close to God and eventually to know and be familiar with his will and ways.

Psalm 25, on the other hand, shows us what attitude we ought to have before we ask God for light. “No one who hopes in you,” it says, “will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long…” (3-5)

It’s good to be familiar with these words and to try to live out what they say, especially nowadays when we are confronted with many new things that can confuse us. We know that we can easily be seduced by the many conveniences and advantages these new things can offer without realizing the dangers that they can also occasion.

We really would need to relate these things to God!