Br Jordan Albert Paul

This beautiful narrative seems to suggest that if we but awaken to the presence of Christ within us, if we learn to live and to see at a deeper level, if we live in basic trust rather than fear, then we can withstand even the most frightening storms. When, at the close of the story, Jesus asked the bewildered and exhausted disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” he is wondering why they have not yet let go of the ego mind, the mind of fear, why they have not yet experienced the change of heart necessary for living in the kingdom of God.
—Bishop Robert Barron

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
—Isaiah 12:2

Friends,

There are many ways to think about this passage but I want to expand on my last Daily Bread about sin.

As you’re reading this, have a sin in mind. Not a little thing that you do by accident. Instead, think bigger. Something that you know, deep down, is a sin but you continue doing it intentionally. 

I still remember a comment on Reddit that I saw years ago summarizing what it means not to trust God:

“I’m afraid that God is actually not good. I’m afraid that if I do what He wants, I’ll somehow end up regretting it.”

But will you? If you are, for example, prone to habitual drunkenness to the neglect of your work, your family, your friends, etc. then stopping that will necessarily entail some regret.

In the short term, you will feel horrible. In the long term, you’ll feel better.

In the short term, you may become even less enjoyable to be around as you adjust to your new normal. In the long term, well, I think most people would agree it is better to be attentive to those in your life who love you.

Trusting God is also taking the next step: helping others.

In a world of relativism, take the step to realize when you quit a sin, it is not just beneficial that you quit. Sin is bad whoever is doing it and you might be the person that God has placed in another’s life to put them on the path to righteousness.

In Christ,

—Br Jordan Albert