The Obstacle Course called "life"

[RebeccaJ]

I had this conversation with a friend this week about abstinence on Fridays. I abstain from meat on Fridays, and I made the comment that it is difficult at times because Friday is the day that everyone seems to plan eating out. At the office, with friends, family get togethers. As we were talking about all the different aspect of this, he made the comment that if I view abstinence as an obstacle course, then there really is no good reason to continue the practice.

This got me thinking to life in general, the “endure to the end”, and how at least for me, I view this as life as an obstacle course. Which, I find a bit disturbing for a reason I can’t quite pin-point. But I was wondering what others might think. Anyone?

 

[baltobetsy]

Funny, I was just thinking yesterday about how every spiritual practice we do is not an end in itself, but a means of getting closer to God. I was preparing to pray the Rosary, and did not think I would be able to stay awake for the whole thing, so I was deciding to say only half the Hail Marys in each decade. That brought to mind something my DH told me he was told by his spiritual director. He told DH to pray the Rosary any way he wanted to, as long as it brought him closer to God - whether that was the whole thing or one decade or parts or whatever.

So maybe you are coming to a similar conclusion. Your Friday abstinence has as its ultimate purpose to bring you closer to God. That is through obedience and sacrifice. But if it’s not bringing you closer to God, it’s not doing its job. You need to look at it and either change your practice to some other Friday mortification or purify your intention for the abstinence.

The same goes for life in general. It is, in fact, the opposite of an obstacle course. You’re not trying to defeat some arbitrary set of difficulties. You are trying to get closer to God. It’s a little like Chutes and Ladders. Each difficulty, used as intended, can be a shortcut to the heart of God.

Betsy

 

[GratefulFred]

“Obstacle Course” seems to have a negative connotation to it. It also seems to imply that if we overcome the obstacles, we will gain Heaven for all eternity.

Actually we CANNOT gain Heaven by OUR efforts. Admittance to Heaven is COMPLETELY GOD’S CHOICE, not ours. God is Merciful to those who love Him.

The two greatest commandments is to LOVE God and our neighbor as ourself. All the other commandments and expectations flow from our freely choosing to love God and neighbor.

LOVING is not an obstacle. Yes, sometimes, loving seems to be a challenge. We know what would please the loved one, but sometimes we just don’t do it or just do it out of a sense of duty rather than true love.

When we see LOVE as a DUTY, what we do (e.g. go to Mass). or do not do (e.g. abstain on Fridays), to fulfill our duty may seem to us to be an obstacle.

This world offers us many temptations to grab the good life now. The question is, Do we love THIS WORLD more than we love God? When we forego the hedonistic pleasures of this world, are we sacrificing out of true love or duty?

For me, Life is not an obstacle course. It is my opportunity to respond more fully to God’s love. Loving God and others is what I get to do because I am alive in this world.

Love (life) is not an obstacle.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Funny, I was just thinking yesterday about how every spiritual practice we do is not an end in itself, but a means of getting closer to God. I was preparing to pray the Rosary, and did not think I would be able to stay awake for the whole thing, so I was deciding to say only half the Hail Marys in each decade. That brought to mind something my DH told me he was told by his spiritual director. He told DH to pray the Rosary any way he wanted to, as long as it brought him closer to God - whether that was the whole thing or one decade or parts or whatever.

So maybe you are coming to a similar conclusion. Your Friday abstinence has as its ultimate purpose to bring you closer to God. That is through obedience and sacrifice. But if it’s not bringing you closer to God, it’s not doing its job. You need to look at it and either change your practice to some other Friday mortification or purify your intention for the abstinence.

The same goes for life in general. It is, in fact, the opposite of an obstacle course. You’re not trying to defeat some arbitrary set of difficulties. You are trying to get closer to God. It’s a little like Chutes and Ladders. Each difficulty, used as intended, can be a shortcut to the heart of God.

Betsy

I don’t see them as separate. If something is not helping me to become closer to God, then it is an obstacle.

 

[RebeccaJ]

“Obstacle Course” seems to have a negative connotation to it. It also seems to imply that if we overcome the obstacles, we will gain Heaven for all eternity.

Actually we CANNOT gain Heaven by OUR efforts. Admittance to Heaven is COMPLETELY GOD’S CHOICE, not ours. God is Merciful to those who love Him.

The two greatest commandments is to LOVE God and our neighbor as ourself. All the other commandments and expectations flow from our freely choosing to love God and neighbor.

LOVING is not an obstacle. Yes, sometimes, loving seems to be a challenge. We know what would please the loved one, but sometimes we just don’t do it or just do it out of a sense of duty rather than true love.

When we see LOVE as a DUTY, what we do (e.g. go to Mass). or do not do (e.g. abstain on Fridays), to fulfill our duty may seem to us to be an obstacle.

This world offers us many temptations to grab the good life now. The question is, Do we love THIS WORLD more than we love God? When we forego the hedonistic pleasures of this world, are we sacrificing out of true love or duty?

For me, Life is not an obstacle course. It is my opportunity to respond more fully to God’s love. Loving God and others is what I get to do because I am alive in this world.

Love (life) is not an obstacle.

GratefulFred, I understand what you are saying. Thanks.

 

[Edward_H]

Obstacle course may be a nice way to think of our life of holy struggle. A very enterprising, intrepid way to embrace the adventure with Christ. A hurdle there, a contradiction here, a set back there, a chance to spread cheer here. The Acts of the Apostles reads very much like an adventure. All with God as our guide, and our Divine companion.

I like the idea. It’s an active, sporting, embracing the cross approach to our journey toward God.

 

[JRKH]

“Obstacle Course” seems to have a negative connotation to it. It also seems to imply that if we overcome the obstacles, we will gain Heaven for all eternity.

Actually we CANNOT gain Heaven by OUR efforts. Admittance to Heaven is COMPLETELY GOD’S CHOICE, not ours. God is Merciful to those who love Him.

The two greatest commandments is to LOVE God and our neighbor as ourself. All the other commandments and expectations flow from our freely choosing to love God and neighbor.

LOVING is not an obstacle. Yes, sometimes, loving seems to be a challenge. We know what would please the loved one, but sometimes we just don’t do it or just do it out of a sense of duty rather than true love.

When we see LOVE as a DUTY, what we do (e.g. go to Mass). or do not do (e.g. abstain on Fridays), to fulfill our duty may seem to us to be an obstacle.

This world offers us many temptations to grab the good life now. The question is, Do we love THIS WORLD more than we love God? When we forego the hedonistic pleasures of this world, are we sacrificing out of true love or duty?

For me, Life is not an obstacle course. It is my opportunity to respond more fully to God’s love. Loving God and others is what I get to do because I am alive in this world.

Love (life) is not an obstacle.

Excellant Post

What caught my attention abotu it was the use of the terms “Obstacle” and “Challange”. Two words that mean virtually the same thing yet one can carry a more negative connotation than the other.
Life is indeed an “Obstacle course” and it is a “Challange” to navigate it - to surmount the obstacles and put them under out feet - to run the good race, and to persevere to the end.

As to the particular issue of Friday abstinance, we need to remember that the fomr of “abstinance” is optional (except during lent). Abstaining from meat is a good and very traditional way to do this, but other forms of abstinance, or “charity” can be substituted.
So - I would suggest you can stick with your desire in so far as it seems good to you and give no offense to another (such as the host of a dinner party serving beef on Friday). If the circumstance requires that you eat meat, then have a back-up “sacrifice” that will allow you to partake of the meat AND still perform and act of charity or of denial.
Such an act could be if you have meat, you have no cocktail, or you will double your donation the next Sunday, or commit to pray and extra rosary etc…

Of course, as others have said, just be sure you are doing these things for the right reasons (Love). Don’t get caught up in the “legalisms” of the doing and lose sight of the intents.

Peace
James

 

[RebeccaJ]

It is not a legalistic approach that I have. I understand that Friday abstinence is out of love for God. That is why I do it. So I think when I make an exception because of this that or the other thing, that I am saying I value something more over God.

My thoughts on this are that I need to change how I view the “interruptions”, not as interruptions, but as an opportunity.

Thanks all for your thoughts.