Men's Rosary

Responsibility and accountability are two words that do not seem too popular as of late.  Responsibility defines our duty to do certain things and possess certain attributes required for a task, while accountability is our obligation to own the outcome of our actions.  It seems it has become too easy to blame other people and things for the outcomes of our actions, or rather, our behavior.  Too often the easy path is the one we jump on and then wonder what has happened when we find ourselves over-weight, weak, stressed out, angry, depressed, feeling hopeless or that life is pointless.  Unfortunately, some go down this path and wonder if God exists.

Many times, the remedy we choose is to give up things that we determine are making us this way.  We diet, we give up alcohol, give up reading the news, the list goes on. But the problem is not in things, all that stuff we blame. The problem is with us. We are the cause of our problems.  Until we take ownership of our actions we will suffer.  “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7) I think of this especially as Lent begins.  We give up so many things, but why?  What is the point?  It seems like once Easter is here it is “life as usual”.  Could it be that we think the practice of giving up will procure a result, in and of itself?  It will not.

Knowledge and understanding are required to affect a change.  We need to understand the importance of food choices and exercise and how they work with the body.  We also need to understand the importance of sleep and rest and how they work with the body.  When we understand how things work, take time to connect the dots, then we are more inclined to do the most important thing – change our behavior.  Otherwise, we diet for a little while, or long while, go to the gym for a time, and then end up where we started.  Any short-term results evaporated. 

The same goes with our spiritual life.  We go to church, bible studies, seminars, retreats, etc. These are all good, but we need to understand how these things work with our spiritual nature and see them as tools to help us change and grow.  If not, after they are over, and we are alone with ourselves, we end up where we started.  We must have knowledge of God.  We must have an understanding of Christ’s teachings.  This is when we can change our behavior and grow. “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

The most interesting thing that I find is if we focus on our spiritual life and work on our behavior there, the matters of our physical life improve.  In other words, we do not have to focus as much on the physical as we do spiritually. “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8) Praying, fasting and almsgiving are not just Lenten practices.  They are vehicles to help us change our behavior, our habits, our priorities.  Hundreds of books have been written about this, but in my mind, I try to keep it simple.  Praying helps to grow closer in relationship with God and hear his will for my life, fasting helps to be in control of my passions and desires, and almsgiving helps me to love others as myself.   We must keep our head in the game. We cannot diet for a few months or exercise for a few months and then call it quits, expecting a permanent result.  Likewise, we cannot pick up some spiritual practices for forty days and expect a permanent result.  We will fall back to where we once were. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8) We need to change our behavior and our focus, knowing that we are never done.  Permanent change in our spiritual life and reordering of our focus and priorities will cause the proper choices and change in all areas of our life.

“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” (St. John Henry Newman)