I think sometimes I have gotten a little too comfortable relying on God’s mercy.

That was an interesting thought this morning, especially considering how much I believe in God’s mercy and grace. But today’s Gospel made me stop and think.

Jesus tells us to fear the One who has the power to cast us into Gehenna. That’s pretty serious stuff.

I don’t think we should be afraid to approach God. Quite the opposite. But I do think we have lost some of our fear of His final judgment. At least I know I have.

I sometimes find myself thinking that surely God wouldn’t allow so many people to go to Hell. Our world has gotten so far away from Him. But who am I to decide that?

And then there’s Purgatory. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that’s not so bad either.

But I think I’m missing something.

God’s mercy is infinite, but that doesn’t mean I can take it for granted. I still have to cooperate with His grace, repent, and try to live according to His will.

And that brings me to St. Paul.

In Ephesians, Paul tells us we are destined according to God’s purpose, and that God accomplishes all things according to His will.

Not mine. His.

That made me think about my desire to control things, especially at work. I want things to be great, and I don’t think that’s a bad desire. But sometimes I get frustrated when things aren’t done my way.

And then something occurred to me.

For a while now, I’ve been praying that I would bring God to work with me. But maybe I’ve had that backward.

I don’t need to bring God into my plans. I need to join Him in His.

I need to work with God, not ask God to work with me.

That may sound like semantics, but I think there’s a pretty big difference. One puts me in charge and asks God to help. The other recognizes that God is in charge and invites me to cooperate with Him.

Same work. Different understanding of who is leading.

So my prayer today is for the grace to take God’s will more seriously, to let go of my pride and impatience, and to remember that I’m working with Him, not the other way around.

Where in your life might you be asking God to follow your plans instead of joining Him in His?

I pray you get the graces you need today.

Keep up the good fight.

I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-14 | Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13 | Luke 12:1-7