Never Rest on Your Laurels

We all have goals in life ranging from our career to our family. From the time we gain our ‘wits’ we understand that a life without goals is a life not lived. The problem isn’t having goals. The problem more often than not is what to do when our goals have been achieved.

Brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the heathen who do not know God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you. For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. But concerning the love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you; so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody.

1^st Thessalonians 4.1-12

Today I invite you to hear the encouragement from Saint Paul as more than just career or family goals. We may eventually reach the pinnacle of our career, but we can never reach the moment when our spiritual goals have been fully realized.

This is why Saint Paul says, “to do more and more,” when it comes to our relationship with God and each other. The moment we stop making progress, we regress. The same is always true, even in our career goals. There is no staying the same no matter what heights we reach.

I know the idea of never stopping can seem exhausting. It is also why the Church has seasons of fasting AND feasting. Our bodies and souls need the rhythm of the Church SO THAT we can keep going ‘more and more’ as Saint Paul desires for us.

This happens to be the season for fasting as we prepare for the Feast of the Nativity. Here’s my point for today. Fight the temptation to think you’re finished. You can still ‘do more and more’ whether it be fasting or prayers or charity.

It won’t mean you can’t ever take a break and get refreshed. That’s what the Feasts are for, but today isn’t a Feast. Don’t let the Nativity Fast, along with the temptation that you have accomplished all there is to accomplish, get away from you.

Take a moment today and ask yourself, “Where have I made progress, and where can I make more progress?” Then….get started and don’t stop until you’re face-to-face with God.