Male Journey # 9 Workaholics for God

The Male Journey, #9

Workaholics for God

Many of the most successful and hardworking men, men with the best of intentions, spend their whole lives as virtual workaholics for God or family. They hope their commitment to energy and investment of time will save their soul, support their family, and make them more worthy of eternal life. In this way we seem to to avoid the depth and joy of the right now-- so that we can get extended life later, which is an odd strategy. Do wen really want life or not?

Meanwhile, God keeps gently breaking in, tapping us on the shoulder, trying to get our attention to let us know that achievement and worthiness were never the issue. The issue was always, and only, about relationship. Brothers, do not avoid relationships with God in favor of supposed good work for God or anybody else. That is precisely what so many sons resent about their fathers: “he made money for the family, but he never just wanted to be with us.”

Questions:

When am I most likely to try to be worthy of God's kingdom?

Do I keep my work in balance?

My Commentary:

According to Richard Rohr, it appears that men measure their success by the amount of work they do and the amount of money they earn. But, it seems to me, that work is a relative term. In Western civilization, work means to physically labor, to put in long hours, bring home a paycheck, etc. The question is, of course, at what cost?

But, what about the work of family, love, and compassion?

In reality the work that truly matters is the hard is the hard work in creating an on-going meaningful relationship with God. This is the relationship that will bring peace and happiness to our lives! Once we dedicate ourselves to the job of listening and knowing God, then everything else in our lives fall into place.

We need to avoid being blinded to the true nature of life: preparing for eternal life. Our lives, our work, our self-importance, our knowledge, our ignorance are not even a minute spec on a grain of sand in the all the universe compared to what life with God will bring us.

An on-going theme in these discussions is listening to our inner voice; listening and taking counsel from God. With this responding to the messages given us by God, then we struggle to achieve eternal happiness.

Francisco

A Jornada Masculina, # 9

Workaholics para Deus

Muitos dos homens mais bem sucedidos e trabalhador, os homens com a melhor das intenções, passam suas vidas inteiras como workaholics virtuais para Deus ou da família. Eles esperam que seu compromisso com a energia e investimento de tempo irá salvar sua alma, sustentar a família, e torná-los mais dignos da vida eterna. Desta forma, parece que, para evitar a profundidade ea alegria do agora - para que possamos ter a vida prolongada mais tarde, que é uma estratégia estranha. Não wen realmente quer da vida ou não?

Enquanto isso, Deus guarda gentilmente quebrar dentro, tocando-nos no ombro, tentando chamar nossa atenção para nos informar que a realização e dignidade nunca foram a questão. A questão era sempre, e apenas, sobre o relacionamento. Irmãos, não evitar as relações com Deus em favor do suposto bom trabalho para Deus ou qualquer outra pessoa. Isso é precisamente o que tantos filhos ressentem sobre seus pais: "ele fez dinheiro para a família, mas nunca só queria estar com a gente."

Perguntas:

Quando estou mais provável para tentar ser digno do reino de Deus?

Eu mantenho o meu trabalho em equilíbrio?

Meu Comentario: 

De acordo com Richard Rohr, parece que os homens medir o seu sucesso pela quantidade de trabalho que fazem e da quantidade de dinheiro que ganham. Mas, parece-me, que o trabalho é um termo relativo. Na civilização ocidental, o trabalho significa fisicamente de trabalho, para colocar em longas horas, levar para casa um cheque de pagamento, etc A questão é, naturalmente, a que custo?

Mas, o que sobre o trabalho da família, amor, compaixão e?

Na realidade, o trabalho que realmente importa é o difícil é o trabalho duro na criação de uma relação em curso significativa com Deus. Esta é a relação que trará paz e felicidade para nossas vidas! Uma vez que nós nos dedicamos ao trabalho de ouvir e conhecer a Deus, então tudo em nossas vidas cair no lugar.

Precisamos evitar ser cegado para a verdadeira natureza da vida: preparar para a vida eterna. Nossas vidas, nosso trabalho, nossa auto-importância, o nosso conhecimento, a nossa ignorância não são ainda uma especificação minutos em um grão de areia no todo o universo em comparação com o que a vida com Deus vai nos trazer.

Um tema on-going nessas discussões é ouvir a nossa voz interior, escutando e tomando conselho de Deus. Com esta respondendo às mensagens dadas por Deus, então vamos lutar para alcançar a felicidade eterna.

Francisco

Praying For Peace

Sometimes the simplicity and the beauty of life hits directly over the head and we completely miss it. The other day I was reading the Prayer of St. Francis and it really hit me that it is a true call to a life of love and compassion that today we oftentimes forget.

Prayer is the archenemy of evil. Prayer can conquer evil and all that is required is that we pray! When prayer overtakes evil as our way of life, then evil is defeated and we enter a life of peace and love. Imagine if human beings prayed and lived the life advocated by St. Francis! What a glorious and wonderful world we would have. I challenge us to take up the mantle of Francis and pray his prayer and lead the life of the prayer. Good will result. Not only, for ourselves, but for those in our community, which in reality is the world.

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

Amen

Francisco

Male Journey 8

A Radically Benevolent Universe In the past view discussions of the Male Journey, we have been discussing the discovery if the inner-self and how that in itself helps shape who we are as men. This search can become a very challenging experience for us, if our objective is not fully understood. The struggle to find our role as men in our society can be daunting and can, if we surrender to the challenges, can act as a dam to the free flowing love which God constantly offers us. Our universe is love and benevolence. We need to discover this and so benefit from it and become the men that we are expected to be.

 If we cannot understand that the our universe is deep-set in love, a love that is overwhelmingly available to us, we then ask if life is worth living and so fall into a state of despair. As we look at the history of masculinity, we can see that despair has overwhelmed many of our brothers throughout time and so we see frequent examples of war, moral collapse, or simply social chaos. If we become aware of the goodness and love of God, a goodness and love that at times is not easily recognizable, we will naturally develop a happiness of life which will not only influence us, but will overflow to our families, friends, and society. Males face intellectual and spiritual challenges that are quite different from those of women. It appears to me, that we men are more easily influenced/controlled by the “whirlwind” of the universe.

Men succumb to the invitations of evil at a high rate (this can be looked at in many different ways and I am not trying to imply in any way that one gender is “better” or “more intelligent” than the other): sexual entreaties; an over-the-top desire to succeed, not mater what; ignoring the weak and less powerful; etc.

The “benevolent” universe God offers is the way for us to reject what we perceive as the easy way to achieve our negative objectives. By rejecting these offers of easy pleasure, power, avenues to ego development, etc. we will become better husbands, fathers, businessmen, teachers, etc. and so we can help nurture a better universe for the rest of society. Rejection of the “easy way” is difficult and unpopular. We may see ourselves as weak and “unmanly” if we reject the evil way, but in looking deeper into this, we see that it takes greater strength to reject evil, than to accept the love of God. If we believe that heaven is in us, and understand the love God has to give us in every aspect of life, we will be happier, and contribute to God's role as the provider of happiness in life.

 The basis for this discussion comes from Richard Rohr:

 A Radically Benevolent Universe Traditional myths and stories present a benevolent universe, a hostile universe, or an indifferent universe. This is what children seek in movies, books, and even video games; they are looking for the shape of their universe.

Mature Christians should recognize that ours is a generous and benevolent universe, as describe in the first chapter of Genesis. We are told that the world is not only good, safe, and on our side, but that there is Someone who is for us more than we are ourselves! This truth must be felt, understood, and drawn upon to become life-giving. The work of healthy religion is to open our eyes to see a world in which everything swirls with meaning.

Theologically, you could call heaven “the transcendent inside” of everything. Heaven is not so much a place out there as it is the full depth and dynamism of things in here. That's why Jesus said “the kingdom of [heaven] is within you” (Luke 17:21). Heaven is an experience now before it is later and forever.

 Q:

 When and in what circumstances, did I begin to understand that I am part of a larger story?

 Have I turned my back on a love based universe?