Moment With Betty

 The Holy Scripture says that we cannot serve God and Mammon together, we have to choose one.

Thus, 1^ST John chapter 2:15-17 says, “Don’t love the world for the things that are in the world. Let us identify the things that we need to detach from and detach from them.  For example; is it the phone?  Many people sleep and wake up with the phone so much so that they often forget to say the morning prayers. Is it the social media? Some people are addicted to it, it is from the Facebook to Instagram and to tweeter and sometimes they flip from the DSTV to NEFLIX and nothing else matters.  But what is important is to be mindful of the order we have placed to guide us every day.

I have not said that earthly things are bad, neither did l say that we should not have them. All l am saying is that they are corrupted when man sets them up as idols or when we adore them. We cannot seek after material goods as if they are a treasure. Our treasure is Christ and all our Love and desire must be centered on HIM.

We have to make real effort to be detached from everything, without fear or hesitation. When we go about our various duties, whether personal, family or otherwise, let us make honest use of upright human means with a view to serving God, His church, our family our profession, our country and the whole mankind.

 We have to priorities properly so that we can accommodate the essential things that matter in our life.

Remember that what really matters are not whether we have this or lack that but whether we are living according to the truth as taught by our Christian faith, which tells us that created goods are only a means, nothing more.

When we try to build happiness exclusively around the things of this world, we pervert their proper use and destroy the order so wisely established by the Creator. Consequently, when those things are not forth coming, the heart becomes sad and unsatisfied. According to a statement credited to Solomon in the scriptures, he said” Above all things guard your hearts”

We should learn not to be too attached to material things. There is this believe that whatever clothes, shoes, bags or other material goods that you have not used in the last 6 months, do not belong to us but to the poor and if that is the case then, we should give the poor their belongings. It does not belong to us and should not be kept in our wardrobe. They should be given out to charity or to a neighbor or family member who needs it. This will surely bring us happiness and also make God happy. Remember that passage in the bible where Jesus says” Whatsoever you do the rest of my brothers, that, you do unto me”

 There are two virtues which can help us to be detached they are the virtue of humility and Temperance.   Always ask God for these virtues and the grace to be unselfish and not to be proud. Above all let our happiness be outside us, let it be for our families and neighbours. Never forget that God cannot find a place to dwell in a heart which is coarse, disorderly and empty of love. We should always learn to walk with a heart of detachment when we pray.

Let us take a cue from the example of Toni Zweifel who cheerfully detached himself from the family’s great wealth at a point in is life while he was still studying, to follow his heart and answer God’s call.

Tony, could rightly be described as a child that was born with a golden- spoon. And according to the story written and shared on the internet on- 07/06/2016, Tony gave up all his possession and the family’s wealth –  An expensive sports car that his father gave to him when he turned 18, which he traded with a large seven – passenger Sedan and often released it to be used by the students for excursion. His expensive camera and a coffee maker e.t.c. Tony was rich, intelligent, successful with a good career but he decided to detach himself from all of these and placed them at the service of God and his neighbour. Unlike the rich young man in the Gospel (Matthew -19: 16-22) who chose to keep his possessions and went away sad, Tony gave it all up.

 So, besides detaching ourselves from material goods, we are also encouraged to set aside our opinions or plans for the good of others and live a life of temperance so that we can truly experience joy and happiness. May God help us to live a life of detachment always, Amen.