Letting go of our own plans and ways and trusting in God’s plans and ways is a theme in today’s scripture readings. Detachment from things, preferences, and ideas can help us to fully embrace God’s will. When we have confidence in God’s will for us—when we know that He has our best interests in mind—we will feel more peace and happiness.
Imagine that there’s a certain task that you want to accomplish. You’ve thought it through and made your plan. Now imagine that something comes along that changes your plan, and you become frustrated and discouraged. In this case, you’re attached to your plan, causing you to feel less peace and happiness. We can be attached to all sorts of things: plans, ideas, preferences, people, belongings, food, our morning routines (coffee anyone?). Not all attachments are necessarily bad for us. The key is discerning what you might be attached to and what God is calling you to detach from.
You might ask yourself if the things that you are attached to are causing you to be closer to God or further away from Him. For instance, if you’re attached to a habit of praying right after you get home from school or work, then that would be drawing you closer to God. But if you’re attached to a person in a way that places that person as more important than God, then that would be an opportunity to pray in order to place the right priorities in your life. A good gauge for detachment is this: no thing should be more important than a person and no person should be more important than God.
Healthy detachment from earthly things and our own plans and ideas helps us to see how God provides for us. When we see that He is in control, we can let go of the need to control everything. When God is in the driver’s seat, we can relax a little and enjoy the journey more.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please help me uncover what I can detach from so that I can experience more peace and happiness.
Readings for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
WISDOM 9:13-18
PSALM 90:3-17
PHILEMON 1:9-17
LUKE 14:25-33