scared:
Hurst, you said "And as for what you are suffering now, simply accept it as a chastisement to help you learn obedience. " I understand, perhaps this is what I need, chastisement, and to learn obedience. How does one do this though?
Do you prefer to be like a child that seeks to escape its discipline, or one that duly submits itself?
This passage shows how:
Judith 8:27 But esteeming these very punishments to be less than our sins deserve, let us
believe that these scourges of the Lord, with which like servants we are chastised, have happened for our amendment, and not for our destruction.
It takes faith to decide to amend one’s life, and to obey the implication of a chastisement. By accepting your suffering from the hand of the good God, you exercise the obedience of faith, and dispose yourself to practising justice, which leads you to peace.
Hebrews 12:11 Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.
This obedience of faith is needed to do justice.
Hebrews 10:38 But my just man liveth by faith; but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please my soul.
Romans 1:17 For the justice of God is revealed therein, from faith unto faith, as it is written: The just man liveth by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice:
1 Sam 15:22 And Samuel said: Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices: and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams.
Justice by faith involves what you know, say, and do in your heart. For we must not only do things that appear just, but must accord with justice in our hearts, for
John 4:24 God is a spirit; and they that adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth.
I hope this shows that to learn obedience means to do justice by accepting with good will the tasks and sufferings God sends us.
scared:
Do I need to be made aware that I have been disobediant and therefore need to be given correction?
You can be under correction without realizing it, but it won’t help you much until you accept it as such with docility. So if you can’t figure it out, it is better in good faith to decide God is punishing you for some good reason, and to accept it patiently, than to continuously evade and try to escape it, or give in to despair (which can be a smokescreen for willfully refusing to submit to discipline).
But keep in mind that sometimes God sends us something to suffer that is not due to our own sins, and this is a bigger blessing.
1 Peter 3:17 For it is better doing well (if such be the will of God) to suffer, than doing ill.
scared:
I think I sort of understand this, but not sure how to go about it.
Give tentative credence to what your conscience and heart tell you. Is it accusing you of something? Then consider it carefully to see if it is indeed true. And if so, then atone for it, make restitution, amend yourself, apologize to those you hurt, etc. Once having done that act, your heart can’t continue to accuse you with a good reason.
Alternatively, is your heart accusing God? In that case, realize it is decieved, as an ugly person might blame a mirror. For in looking at God we see ourselves. If we see Him as good, then we are pure, but if we see bad things, then in fact we see our own reflection.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Perhaps God has “gone away” because you have some penance to do to prepare His way further into your heart.
Matthew 3:2 And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
Blessed are you if when He comes back He finds you prepared for Him.
Matthew 24:46 Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing.
And remember that someone who is rescued from death still needs time to be nursed to health. It can take a long to time to realize what thought patterns and other internal habits are causing you to bang your own head against the wall in darkness. But through persevering prayer, you can obtain light and health and relief. (I advise you to practise charity on others, for then it is worth double. Pray for the helpless souls in purgatory.)
hurst
