Freedom

How free am I? The journey to freedom never ends in this life. It is a journey of grace and choices.
Grace, because we are loved before we even know it. We have been eternally loved by Love itself. God is Love, deep, profoundly personal, unconditional, infinite Love.
We are eternally loved known and deeply valued.
We are loved into being and sustained in love.
No action of mine or anybody else’s will ever stop this from being true.
When we truly believe this we are well and truly on the way towards freedom.

The trouble is that most of us do not really believe this.
We get plagued by self-doubt, even questioning our self-worth.
We live in an imperfect world and can pick up messages which can initiate these self-doubts as we are growing up even in very loving families.

Even loving families are made up of imperfect people who are surrounded by other imperfect people.

This self-questioning helps to feed the ego. It gives rise to insecurity of various types.
Am I really loveable?
If only they really knew me they would know what a fraud I really am.
Am I really good enough?
Why don’t they really notice what I am doing for them and for others?

Why did they choose them instead of me?
What is wrong with me?
I am really better than them!!
And so many other ‘head’ questions!

My peace I give you, my own peace I give you, a peace that the world cannot give.

The more we believe in the infinite love of God for us the fewer masks we need to wear, the fewer games we need to play, and the fewer other entrapments we will fall into.

It is possible to respond to the invitation of grace and choose to respond to all these questions with love.

This is not something that we decide once and then we can leave all this negative stuff behind.

We need constant reminders and commitment.

Prayer, putting ourselves in places where we are reminded of deeper values, such as the sacraments, sound spiritual reading, talking with mature people about the spiritual life.

All these help. Yes, it does require vigilance and work. But it is worth it!

Some regular time of prayer, meditation, solitude, and reflection all help!!