A part of the Inaugural Speech made by late President John F Kennedy on his election victory as the President of America and applauded by the people around the world is as follows.
“Fellow Americans, do not ask what America can do for you. Instead ask what you can do for America” Similar to these power packed motivational words, what could be the Inspirational words that our Heavenly Father expects from each one of us? Don’t you think those words are –“what can I do for my God today?”
Sometimes, we hear a statement as follows: ‘God does not need us but we need God’. I think this utterance is uncalled for and is offensive to God.
Suppose, a parent tells their son or their daughter,’ you need us, we don’t need you’, will not this statement cause sadness and discouragement in the son/daughter? The reality is, ‘we need God and God needs us’. (Here, there is no suggestion that without us, God is incomplete. We can also say, “God wants me” God wants you!)
Proof from the Bible
1.a) Jesus says, “Saul has to suffer for my sake”. Acts. 9:16
- b) “…and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” Mt. 10:39
And Mt 16:25
- c) 2 kings. 19:34. “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own
Sake and for the sake of my servant David”
- d) Ps. 79:9, Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your
Name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake
For Our Reflection
What is meant by Jesus’ sake or God’s sake?
An Example: – Suppose I ask my son, ‘come with me to Panaji (from Margao) for my sake’, it means that, I want my son to come to Panaji with me, even if he does not want to come. No inference can be made from this statement that if he does not come with me, I will not be able to travel to Panaji. I think What St. John the Baptist said to the crowd, although in a different context, has applicability here. Lk. 3,7-8. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham.
- Let us refer to Mt. 9:37, 38 and Lk. 10:2 Jesus said, “The harvest is Plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
We are cautioned: In Prov.30.5 to 9, we are told and I quote, ‘To His words make no addition; every word of God is unalloyed.’
Marceline Rebello