Christ should be the center of our lives. Is there anything better to place as the center and focus of our very being? Too many times we put people, things, money or jobs before Christ or in the place of Christ. I know that I do. I place many many things in the place of Christ as the center of my life, I wish I could stand here and say that I wont do that anymore but I can’t because I am a fallen human being and all I can do is each time I place something before Christ is to work on removing it from my focus and put my focus back on Christ.
How do we tell if our focus is on Christ or on ’stuff’? I can only speak and advise from personal experience, when ever I worry greatly about something, money or desires for things, or worry about people or what they think of me some times I am very blind to it and some times it takes a while for it to hit me. I am in a better place when I can get my focus back on Christ, and most of all pray.
I use to think that things that were “rote prayers” like the rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet etc were old fashioned and out of touch and that talking to God/Christ as a friend was better but something my Spiritual Director said yesterday that we need both. The rote prayer and prayer that is just talking to God as our best friend. At times talking to God is hard, we don’t think we should or that we can, sometimes we think that we are unworthy to even approach God it is then that we really need to approach God asking forgiveness for our sins, talking about our day’s and the things we are struggling with and asking for help for them, and then praising him, thanking him for all of the gifts we have been given .
I am not an expert on prayer by any means, I fail more then I try, but I try. Sometimes all I can do is the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Rosary and sometimes I can only talk to God as my friend. Most of all, I try not to treat God like a vending machine, sometimes I fail and sometimes I avoid praying for things that I really need like patience and anger management… because he has a tendency to give me plenty of practice.
When Christ is the center of our lives, that is when we find peace; or at least I do.
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