“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time – to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
The search for meaning is a high priority for me. I’ve also discovered that everyone is seeking some form of significance. There lies within a deep desire for meaning, even as we wrestle to establish what that looks like.
So my second Examen question is, “How meaningful was my day?” It is left for me to quantify what I measure as meaningful. For me, having taken the decision to live as a contemporary, contemplative, it’s the degree to which I have established a life and time style that offers the means to measure the level of meaningfulness in my day. So how was my 25 minutes of silent contemplation? How did I treat those who crossed my path? Am I staying focused on God, despite the demands daily life presents me with?
These questions are active and not critical. They are intended to provoke a secondary reflection best expressed as, “Did I do my best in serving God?” My natural instinct is only to seek meaning to enhance my own sense of well-being. Yet, meaning for the disciple is only established in the ways in which we love God and neighbour. So I can look back over my day and measure the way I’ve followed my own rule of life and mission statement, as well as how I have fulfilled the fundamental mission of God.
In all of this I refuse to be drawn into a counsel of perfection that’s usually accompanied by an unhelpful dose of guilt. Guilt is unnecessary since we have confession and the capacity to put right those things we know to be wrong where circumstance allows. This takes both humility and courage. There is no fear in love, and grace ensures that I can keep short accounts with God and forgive myself.
QUESTION
At the end of the day consider if you did your best in serving God today.
PRAYER
Lord, may I work according to your plans, and not my own.
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