Our blessings and misfortunes

WE should have the proper attitude towards our blessings and misfortunes. Given our condition, these are unavoidable items in our life and we just need to know how to handle them, so we can take advantage of them rather than get spoiled by them.

The basic attitude to have is, of course, to count our blessings always, rather than brood over our misfortunes. Our blessings are obvious and countless, and we need to take account of them especially as we go through the usual challenges, trials and difficulties in our life. We tend to take them for granted. To be sure, God is always there for us. He will never fail us. It’s rather us who can fail him and ourselves.

Let’s never forget that we are creatures of God, and in fact, the masterpiece of his creation. He has endowed us with intelligence and will and showered us with his grace such that we truly become his image and likeness, and adopted children of his through Christ in the Holy Spirit.

This basic truth about ourselves should infuse us with a deep sense of joy and confidence, in spite of whatever problem, difficulty, mistake and sin we can commit. Let’s always remember the parable of the prodigal son. No matter how much we abuse God’s goodness, God will always welcome us back if we decide to go back to him.

Besides, it would be good if we are constantly aware of the many good things that we enjoy in life and that we tend to take for granted. The air we breathe, the food we eat, the family we have, etc.,–these things should lead us to be most thankful to God and to keep being close to him, always doing his will, because away from him, we can only have problems.

Even our misfortunes can be a source of blessing as long as we go through them with God. Everything will always work out for the good, St. Paul reassured us. (cfr Rom 8,28)

We have to be wary of a strong current trend in the world today where people tend to depend simply only on their own resources instead of going to God. Such attitude, no matter how brilliant, talented and gifted a person is, cannot cope with all the challenges in life. Sooner or later, he will be overcome by life’s problems and troubles.

When we count our blessings, we unavoidably are led to God who is the source of all good things. In this, St. James in his letter told us very clearly. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (1,17)

Nowadays, I see many people, even many young ones, already looking sad and depressed because they are more aware of their problems and difficulties rather than the many blessings they have. Some have even gone to the extent of knowing only the bad things in life, and nothing of the good things.

I guess such phenomenon is due in large part to the trend of ignoring God in their lives, or just taking him for granted. There is so much secularism around, so much paganism, where the basic equality of men where everyone loves one another is forgotten and is replaced by the law of the jungle where the strong and fortunate can easily take advantage of the weak and the unlucky.

It would be good if from time to time we pause and take account of the many good things God has given us. It would lead us to realize what is really important in life, and to avoid getting entangled and lost in the drama of life.

Remember that we are meant to be always happy and calm even in the midst of our misfortunes.