Daily Gospel Reflection for November 8, 2014

Today's Gospel: Luke 16:9-15

In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the importance of being single-minded when it comes to what (or Who) possesses the heart. What does my heart treasure above all else? The quick and easy right answer God. But when I am really honest about it, a lot of things can crowd out the love of God in my heart. The $5 latte that I can’t seem to live without or the feeling that I’m missing something important when I can’t check my e-mail at any given hour of the day can certainly be things that possess a part of my heart. These attachments may seem small in comparison to wealth, but even a small attachment can possess a large piece of the heart.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus specifically talks about love of money and how it can lead to greed and selfishness. Wealth (of varying degrees) can easily lead to a life that is attached to the things of this world. However, I think other things can take hold of the heart that have nothing to do with money.

Perhaps I worry too much about how I am perceived as a mom by other moms, rather than wondering how God perceives me. This is a form of pride. Do I get too concerned about how others see me (not thin enough, not wearing the right clothes) rather than believing that I’m wonderfully made by God and He delights in me (Psalm 139). This is a form of vanity. There might be other things like perfectionism, insecurity, anxiety, and miscellaneous distractions that take me away from looking my 3-year-old in the eye at any given moment of the day. All of these things can possess my heart to the point that God is pushed to the outskirts.

God wants to possess my heart because of His magnificent love for me. He knows that when He is at the center, everything else fades into the background. And that is what is best for me, His daughter.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta echoes this Gospel reading by saying, “Do small things with great love.” God isn’t asking me for wealth, power, fame or anything else this world insists upon. He doesn’t compare me to other moms or value me because of my clothes. He tells me over and over not to worry or be anxious. “Sarah," he says, "be trustworthy in the small things and do them with great love. Focus your attention on the 10 minutes, the hour, the day that is before you, and be faithful in the little moments within that time.”

When I actually abide by these words spoken in Scripture, God truly is the treasure of my heart.

Ponder:

What are things of this world that crowd out the love of God in your heart? What is one thing you can do today that brings God back to the center of your heart?

Pray:

Dear Lord, we want You to be the treasure of our hearts, but we know that so many things compete for that special space. Help us to recognize the things that we are unhealthily attached to and give us the grace and strength to fight against them. We pray we can be faithful to the small matters and to do them with great love, so that You will always be the center of our hearts and lives. Amen.

Copyright 2014 Sarah Damm