Doing the good we want to do.

We can get frustrated living out our discipleship.  We try everyday to do what’s right and good, but we often fail because of our weakness or feeble will.  St Paul, the great Apostle of the Lord, speaks to this in his epistles: “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.”  Thankfully, he doesn’t leave it there. Paul leaves us with hope when he writes, “Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul’s right when he says thanks to Jesus, because Jesus is the only one who can help.  Jesus died to make us strong and His promise is to lift us when we fail or fall.  Jesus fills in with His grace, His strength, and His love when we struggle to do well and simply don’t succeed.

Why does Jesus do this for us?  By our Baptism, Jesus is our brother who wants to help His sisters and brothers whenever He can.  He realizes when we are left to our own selves, we limp along.  When we hit bottom, Jesus suggests we lift our hearts to Him and ask for God’s mercy.  Because when we ask, Jesus arrives with the power of His Father’s love to do what we are unable to do on our own.

St. Paul understands that when we stumble and make mistakes, Jesus does what mothers do when we hurt ourselves as a child.  The Lord picks us up, hugs us, and assures us that we are OK. He washes us clean and sets us on the right path to start over again.

Even if we cry a little over a mistake, it’s OK.  The tears help us remember, even as we embrace once again our trust in Jesus' words, that He will accompany us until we are with Him for eternity.

This level of conviction allows the Holy Spirit to begin again the growth we need to become stronger and more courageous disciples by doing the good we want to do, and avoiding the evil we don’t want to do. With Christ on our side, there is never a reason to give up!