If You Were God
Mark S. Roberti, Director of Stewardship
Heartland Parishes of Ellis County
In our day, there have been several good movies where one of the characters plays God. Have you ever wondered how you would judge people’s actions if you were God?
So, let’s say you’re God. How would you feel if one of your creatures spent as little or as much of each day as you spend with the true God? Would you feel good or bad about that? Would you feel it was a warm, wonderful, relationship or something rather cold and distant?
Let’s also say you died a brutal death for them, rose, and physically returned in a sacramental way. You looked a lot different but, nevertheless, it was fully and completely you. You also arranged it such that you could be exposed to your creation twenty-four hours a day in a very special and visible way. More than that, let’s say you came up with a way that your creature could actually be spiritually nourished by taking you into his or her very body and becoming one with you. How would you feel if your creature still seemed somewhat indifferent to you?
Let’s up the ante here. What if part of the very reason you made yourself so accessible to your creatures is that you wanted to share in a relationship with them and grace them with the capacity to share in your magnificence? What if you thought those creatures were beautiful in a way that only you -- the Almighty God -- could fashion them? But they just couldn’t “get into” this whole “God” concept? How would you feel?
How would you feel if, when they did come to visit you, many did so only out of obligation, or sheer habit? How would you feel if some went out of their way to dress their best and be on their best behavior for other creatures, but in your presence their demeanor was somewhat disrespectful? How would you feel?
How would you feel when you lavished gifts upon them like family, friends, health, prestige, gold, silver, houses, cars, jewelry, recreational toys, etc., then, you were seldom thanked and effectively ignored?
How would you feel when you asked your lovely creature to return a only a small portion, a tithe, one-tenth, of those gifts to you as sign of affection for you, but your creature didn’t want to do so? What if he or she even sometimes complained about being expected to do so? How would that make you feel?
How would you feel when you knew that just by being in your presence your creatures would grow stronger, be happier, and be able to share your love for others, but your creatures just didn’t care all that much?
You know what God wants? He loves us. He wants each of us to embrace Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and wills. He wants us to understand how much we lose by not developing the closest possible relationship with Him in our daily lives.
Because He loves us, He wants us to have the opportunity to come to Him every day and to give Him more of our time and attention. He doesn’t need the attention. For us to be fulfilled in our lives, we need to give Him that attention. He gains nothing by it. We gain everything. He is the Giver. We are the recipients. But the fools that we are, we don’t understand the incredibly bounty that is there before us.
“The kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he goes off happy, sells everything he has and buys the field.” (Mt 13:44)
Today, we have the privilege to come before Him in adoration and/or to receive Him in the Eucharist. In days gone by, great saints walked miles for that opportunity. We should come to Him with thanksgiving in our hearts just to be near Him in true friendship.
“The kingdom of God is among you. Walk while you have the light lest the darkness overtake you.” (Lk 17:21; Jn 12:35)
Our daily bread is the worship of God. We live on it. We thrive on it. He waits for us.
There is no special formula, no particular prayers that need to be said. We simply present ourselves before Him, tell Him what we feel, and listen with quieted hearts for His response. It will come.
God loves us. He proved it by sacrificing His only Son for us. He is interested in us. He is interested in our thoughts, our desires, our needs, our hopes, our ambitions, our efforts, our labors. He is interested in every part of our lives. Our daily lives are a matter of highest priority for Him. He knows where He is leading us. He asks us to trust Him. He grants us the blessings we need.
Think about how much easier it will be to approach Him when the time comes that we see God face-to-face if we have approached Him this way throughout our lives.
This is stewardship of time, friends.