All of us desire to be GOOD, to be that "good person" in our social circle, to eventually find our other half who is worth it, but, do we know how to? This entry shares practical tips on Sarah Swafford's Virtue Challenge.
Have you ever tried to find yourself in another, or perhaps find all things different from someone you may or may not be attracted to? Do you ever find yourself asking God if there really is that someone who is meant for you, and you alone? Or have you lost all hope?
Sarah shares with us the ultimate list that both men & women find attractive in one another. This list, however, is not possibly 100% attainable. There is no living person walking on earth who has ticked off all that is on the list. Then what is it all for? It is the list that we are to strive towards, our end goal as preparation for our future spouses (Oh St Joseph, pray for us!).
Remember, we're striving to be like this - there is not a man or woman alive walking on earth who has that list completely checked off - because we're all striving, just striving.
1. Finding your identity
Before we reach the end goal, we have to start from the beginning.
Who are you?
Why are you striving to become a simply irresistible virtuous being?
What are you here for?
Oftentimes we find ourselves merely flowing through the waves. I don't know about you, but I hear so many comments about my being day after day. "You should do this, you should do that, you shouldn't this, that..." With all these improvements I make for myself to please these people's eyes, I find myself exhausted all the time. How come living is so tough? Am I living my life or am I just surviving? This wasn't the life God had planned out for me.
If you find yourself exhausted & slowly crippling away, my dear brother or sister, remember what you are here for.
Here for a good time, not for a long time.
Though, what is good? How do you have a good time in a world full of dissatisfaction? Are you even good?
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
1 John 3:1-2
This is the good we know - because it is the Good God who made us to be. He who made us to share in His goodness.
Not convinced? Still seeking who you are? Find out more - read up on testimonies, read up on Christian identity & more on the Faith! It's going to be worth it!!!
2. Building confidence in your being
Now, we've recalled who we are and what we are here for. We move on by building confidence in the Truth, and the only way to do that; is to build our relationship with our Creator - the Great Artist. He who crafted us even before our being, He who made us in His image, He who desires to be loved by His creatures. One of the most fundamental in all relationships is communication. Similarly, we build & maintain our relationship with our Lord through communicating with him every day. That communication is through prayer. ☺︎
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
How do we pray? Even though it is perhaps the most important, it is also the simplest. To just quieten our hearts, to sit before the Lord & to ask Him to be present during this time - speak your heart out. Ask & you shall receive, seek & you shall find. Even if you are not entirely convinced of who you are and how much you are worth, pray for the faith, pray that you may eventually be convinced of YOUR goodness that was made possible by His Grace. Speak to him as you are to a friend, to a loved one, to your confidante.
Many times, we don't hear a response but that doesn't mean the God is not working in our lives. Our hearts would have already been stirred as we prepare to pray. Our hearts will soon be carved & moulded into one that God desires, but it takes time. During that time of seeking and/or waiting, we strive to remain faithful. To continuously be hopeful that one day, we will eventually find comfort in our identity in Christ, and be convicted into being chiseled into simply irresistible virtuous people.
3. Looking above & beyond
As the famous Buzz Lightyear would tell us every now and then, let us remember that we are not alone in this very very big place. The vast blue skies & the beauty of nature will remind us that there are much bigger things than ourselves. Let the awe bring you back to the greatest Creator, who chose you amidst the 200 million who could have been, to win the first race in life. If you ever feel like you're too small to make a big difference, remember the lives of the saints. Those who offered up every little things they do each day for the greater glory of God's kingdom, for those who merely did what they had to do - with the deepest intentions, and those who took small steps to eventually bring hundreds closer to the Lord. To be a simply irresistible virtuous being starts from baby steps, which will eventually make the hike up the mountain to the Lord, a much bearable one. Life isn't suppose to be easy, the Lord didn't ease His way out to show us His love for all of us.
Finding a companion may be some of our coping mechanisms to the obstacles that life through at us. Some may think, "I wish I had someone to share in this pain, I wish there was someone I could intimately share all my sad and happy moments with". As you strive to find confidence in your being, allow yourself to be immersed in the goodness of life. Allow yourself to be free from worries, thoughts of loneliness, and fear.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
2 Corinthians 3:17
My brothers and sisters, only when we are free from our chains will we truly see that we are LOVED. The companion you are about to meet is not meant to fill up the cracks and emptiness within your heart, that is beyond something they can do. We too are all broken, and it wouldn't make much sense to seek one another to help mend the brokenness when we can't even fix ourselves. The Lord Himself has been telling us through the prophets & the early fathers that only through Him, will we find ourselves.
As we all strive to be that irresistible virtuous beings we desire, let us indulge in the irresistible love that Our Father offers. May we aim to be virtuous, to allow our hearts to be filled by the Holy Spirit, to be the face of Christ to those whom we love. ☺︎
Love,
fellow Beloved Child of God ♥︎
