The need for constant vigilance and accounting

Christ reminded us about this need of ours when he said: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” (Lk 12,39-40)

We have to be keenly aware that our life here on earth is a testing ground God uses to see if what he wants us to be is also what we ourselves would want to be. God wants us to be his image and likeness, to be sharers of his divine life and nature, thus, he gave us our spiritual powers of intelligence and will so we can know him and love him, and want to be one with him. Besides, he gives us his grace, so we can attain the supernatural level of his life and nature.

Every event in our life is actually an occasion to test us if we also would like to be like him. Thus, he gave us his commandments to guide us. Much more than that, he gave us Christ himself, “the way, the truth and the life,” so we would know how to be with God given our wounded condition.

We need to be always vigilant and do abiding accounting of how we are doing, given this original and ultimate condition and purpose of our earthly life. Since God has made us stewards of our own life, we need to learn how to manage the many resources entrusted to us so that we can be fruitful and productive in this life. Let’s remember that God will always ask us to account for what he has given us.

Among these resources, our time occupies a prominent and crucial place and plays a strategic role. It has been said that time is very precious because once it has passed, it can never be recovered. Some saints have regarded time not only as a treasure but also as glory, depending on how it is used.

We have to be really good in managing our time, being clear about the proper motives, priorities and standards in the use of time. The motives should be none other than love of God and others. The priorities should always be God first, then others, then ourselves.

And we should all have an abiding concern for accounting everything that we are and that we have. We just cannot go on with our life as if we are not answerable to anybody, especially to God, from whom we all come and to whom we all belong.

This is an indispensable part of our life, an unrelinquishable duty to perform. Our problem is that many still are ignorant of this duty, and of those who already know about this, the tendency is to take it for granted or to do it badly or to avoid it if given the chance.

We need to find a way of instilling this duty in everyone, starting with oneself and then encouraging others to do the same, in the context of the families, schools, parishes, offices, etc.

We have to be most aware of where we come from, what dignity and status we are given, what duties and responsibilities are entrusted to us, etc. And let’s remember that we need to handle them properly.