The seven deadly sins are fundamental vices that threaten spiritual death by engendering our actual sins. This month, we will explore these red flags as unhealthy habits that separate us from God.
Just as we are limiting our potential if we neglect to rely on God, we are also limiting our potential if we neglect to cooperate with Him. “God helps those who help themselves,” and the best way we can help ourselves is by placing God first and following His commandments.
We are greatly limiting our potential if we believe we can lead our happiest, most joyful lives without the benefit of God. If we want to be our best selves, we need to become the people God created us to be.
Christian joy is a deep, abiding state of the soul that comes from living in communion with God. It provides the serene and steadfast assurance that every instance is a celebration of the beauty of life and the unfailing love of the Lord. Joy lifts the veil of circumstance to reveal the eternal and unchanging promise of God’s presence, illuminating the sacred influence in our daily lives. It comforts us along our darkest paths and turns our challenges into blessed journeys.
Saint Augustine poses the question: “Is not the happy life the thing that all desire, and is there anyone who does not desire it at all?” We are all created with a universal longing for happiness. But what exactly does it mean to be happy?
Temptations that incite us toward evil originate from our fallen nature, our fallen world, and the devil. As a necessary consequence of free will, they have the potential to cause spiritual death by inviting us to sin. Trials, on the other hand, can lead us to spiritual life by strengthening our faith and virtue. When we turn lovingly toward God, He provides us with sufficient grace to endure all of our struggles.
The new year provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our past and envision how we would like to shape our future. When we rely only upon ourselves for improvement, we overlook the one thing that guides us to true contentment and success. That, of course, is turning toward God to elevate our good works into great works.