We are not of this World

I have always been a very sensitive person, afraid of what one might think if I say or do something that is incongruent with other's perspectives. I get easily offended if someone says something badly of me, carrying the negative encounters with me often for days on end. In a world filled with pressures of social media and constant to-do lists, unrealistic expectations of oneself easily accumulate. Loneliness and despair are real demons in our world today. So often we hear of one's battles with depression or anxiety. In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people. It is so easy to be distracted by problems of today's worldliness: are we not attractive enough, successful, or financially well-off? 

As our Lord Jesus humbled himself to becoming a little child, to being a servant toward His Church, we must remember no servant is greater than His master.  As Christians, we are called to be humble, which reminds us we are not entitled to comfort or success. We must consciously strive to find Jesus, and to place His love for us above all other's love. It is not enough to go to Church once a week and partake in motions. To be one with Christ takes an inner peace and active work. There will be many battles, as going through this world one may encounter trauma through the effects of sin and chaos, and the hardest times will usually come from direct encounters with one another. Other's love will always be flawed. But studying God's word and practicing faithful prayer can provide armor for when inevitably difficult times arrive. Neither reading the bible nor knowing how to pray comes easily: it requires an invested effort. What ultimately works for one may not work for another, but it is vital to find a way to prioritize these practices in one's life. We are not of this world, and nor of this time. Today's life will pass quickly, but relationship with Christ and His Salvation is Eternal.

Jn 15 18-21 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. · If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant[a] is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me.