August 11, 2023
Fraide of di Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
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“Wetin person go gain if e gain di whole world but lose im life? Or wetin person fit give in exchange for im life?” Matthew 16:26
You go like to “gain di whole world?” Plenty people dey imagine how e go be to get wealth well-well and fit buy everything wey dem don ever want. Other people dey dream of doing brave and great things wey go make everybody notice dem and admire dem. Still, other people dey dream of getting great power for this world and becoming very important people. Even though none of these things bad by itself, to desire dem pass di right measure go damage your relationship with God. And when one of these desires come rule your heart and take over everything inside you, di result be say you go lose your soul wey no dey die.
When we talk about di “world,” e fit mean different things. First, e mean all di material things of this world—for example, di best food and drink, to dey satisfy every desire of your body, pleasures of di flesh, material wealth, and everything for this life wey no go last and dey pass away. Second, di “world” fit mean pride and desire for people to notice and praise us. Na when worry about wetin other people think and talk about us take over our mind. Third, di “world” fit mean di desire for power so that we fit force wetin we want on others. For di highest level, na this dey often cause war between countries. One leader want to rule over others and control dem. This desire for power and control fit also affect each person for any part of im life, including family, friends, work, groups wey e dey belong to, and so on.
Di thing wey these three examples of worldly desires get in common na di lie say if you get more of dem, dem go satisfy you. Even though dem fit satisfy you for a short time wey go pass, these desires go also destroy your soul. Na because we must choose. Either we go seek to satisfy di spiritual longing of our souls, or we go seek to satisfy ourselves with di promises of this world wey no dey last. We no fit get both.
Make we note say to get wealth, for people to praise you openly, or for dem to put you for position of power no bad by itself. In fact, any one of these things fit give person chance to do good. Di problem dey start when person pursue one of these worldly desires for selfish reasons, and e dey deceive imself say e go give am true satisfaction. Di truth be say any one of those situations dey put real cross on di person wey dey seek to serve only God. Di responsibility wey dey come with wealth, high standing, or power na real thing. So, when person get one or more of these things, e must handle dem with humility and without letting im heart cling to dem.
For example, if person come get plenty wealth, di command to live without letting im heart cling to material things still remain. So, for this case, material wealth dey bring one kind burden through temptation. Even though person fit surely overcome this temptation and use wealth do good, di danger na real, and e must continue to recognize am. Or, if plenty people praise you for something wey you do, or if dem give you plenty responsibility and authority over others, your humility and freedom from attachment to these things must also grow, so that na God and God alone go remain di only One wey you desire.
Today, reflect on your desires. Wetin you want for life? You want to “gain di whole world?” You dey desire to achieve even some of di ambitions of this world? If na so, take care. Reflect honestly on di desires wey dey inside your heart, and work to make dem pure so that na only wetin God want you go desire. Once this happen, whether you rich or poor, whether people praise or criticize you openly, whether dem trust you with earthly power or not, e no go matter to you. Di only thing wey go matter na say you use everything for di glory of God, according to His perfect will wey dey give true satisfaction.
God wey get glory pass all, Your will dey perfect, and na di one and only source of true satisfaction for life. Abeg, purify my soul from all desires wey concern only this world. Make di one and only thing wey I desire for life be to do Your holy will, so that everything wey I get go serve only Your glory. Jesus, na You I trust.
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