By Henri Nouwen
Posted in Faith
Making Choices
‘In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever’. - Psalm 44: 8
Are we working with the poor or choosing to be in solidarity with them? Are we squandering our time or seizing time as a constant opportunity to discover more about ourselves, our neighbours, and our God? Are we structuring our days to be distracted and entertained, or to let our hearts grow more mature and stronger? Are we responding to our inner fears and pains by ignoring them, or do we choose to face them and live into and through our fears and pains with the help of others who accompany us? Are we talking or praying, worrying or giving thanks, looking at images that arouse or that bring joy, dwelling with our anger or with the one who can bring peace? All these questions show that we are constantly making choices that can lead us toward God’s way and will.
Henri Nouwen, Making Choices - Henri Nouwen
Subscribe to receive Faith articles by email >
I am just like you. My immediate response to most situations is with reactions of attachment, defensiveness, judgment, control, and analysis. I am better at calculating than contemplating. Let’s admit that most of us start there. The false self seems to have the “first gaze” at almost everything.
In celebration of Resthaven’s 90th anniversary, and coinciding with South Australia’s History Festival (1-31 May), Resthaven has today, 7 May 2025, launched its new ‘living history’ website: Resthaven: A History of Caring.
No matter the religion or denomination in which we are raised, our spirituality still comes through the first filter of our own life experience. We must begin to be honest about this instead of pretending that any of us are formed exclusively by scriptures or our churches or religious traditions. There is no such thing as an entirely unbiased position. The best we can do is own and be honest about our own filters. God allows and invites us to trust our own experience.
Comments (3)