1818 The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.–Catechism of the Catholic Church
We often place our hope on so many undeserving people and things only to get let down time and time again. We think, this new book, this new diet plan, or this new relationship will finally do it. That the key to our complete happiness lays somewhere outside of ourselves.
Although material things can certainly satisfy us for a little while, and that keeps us in the game where intense addictions of varying degrees can set in. That’s not what we were created for. We were created for Him. Like St. Augustine said, “our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” And it’s not merely the ‘unchurched’ who hunger, we all do to some extent and need to be reminded often of what we have in Him.
There’s a better way. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to
“seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
He wants it all for us, but He wants us to come to Him first. He knows our needs, and He knows what is best for us. So we are to ‘pray and obey’…to walk closely in relationship with Him, not merely tell Him what He needs to do for us, He’s not a genie granting wishes. We lay all of our burdens on Him, but then we allow Him to speak to us. To guide us in our steps. The world has an answer for every problem. But often times they are very different than the Lord’s way.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your way, and my thoughts than your thoughts. –Isaiah 55:9
