One morning during my walk from Mass to work I watched people I passed by and wondered, “Where is that person going? What are they doing today? They’re obviously dressed and walking somewhere so they’ve already exerted energy and effort to do something.” What that something is, who knows. But what that something is, is also important to everything relating to this blog.
We learn from the world growing up, especially through school and as we start to develop our careers, to find a way to get the most – whether it be money, material wealth, value, opportunities – with as little effort as necessary or possible, and sometimes we choose to call this efficiency. It makes sense in a way because if you can do things quicker and easier without putting in as much effort, then logically you have extra time and resources to do more. What we should keep in mind, however, is that there will be things in life which require much more of us than we’re willing to give, even if it’s for the seemingly smallest of outcomes. I say ‘seemingly’ for a reason.
To draw out the point with real examples, it’s like seeing a line up of people praying outside an abortion clinic for 40 days – The world says: Why not be out there once a week instead of 40 days straight for more exposure? Why not spend more on preventative measures so that women don’t end up in dire situations where they’d want to have an abortion to begin with? How many babies were actually saved? Or were any even saved at all? Reminder: Sometimes the outcome isn’t the only thing that matters. Or what about the countless times you were there for your friend at 2am to help them pick up the pieces of their heart because of something they were going through, only to have them replay that situation over and over again like your consoling words went in one ear and out the other? The world says: If this happens once or twice it’s ok, but if it continues then what’s the point in helping them? Do they really need a shoulder to lean on? Show them tough love so they get thicker skin! Find them another way to get over it, doesn’t seem like they’re moving on anyway! Again, sometimes the outcome isn’t the only thing that matters.
There are things we do as Christians that seem questionable and unreasonable to the rest of the world. “Why do it THAT way if you can do it THIS way?” or “THAT logic doesn’t make sense, but THIS logic does!” or “They need to learn how to live in modern times and adjust to modern ways.” The thing that the world doesn’t understand that we should, is that love isn’t a simple cause-and-effect vending machine where you can put coins into it, in the form of time and effort, and expect blessings to come out. All our efforts as Christians, no matter how much of it we put into something, should be out of, with, and for the sake of love, without measure.
As we all go through our day-to-day lives, I hope we can think about what we are doing, why we are doing it, how we are doing it, and most importantly for whom we are doing it. At the end of the day, regardless of what the outcome is based on how much energy you put into it, if it is pleasing to the Lord, is it worth the effort?