By now, everyone has probably heard homilies on keeping the meaning of Christmas first on our minds and not getting caught up with consumerism. Instead of centering our lives on God, it can be tempting to focus our energy on decorations, shopping and having the perfect family gathering. We can be deceived into giving in to the false gods of this world.

We no longer build false idols that we kneel down before and worship. We don’t have to create anything. For many of us, we have become our own idols. Our knowledge, our beliefs and our opinions are our gods. We have access to all kinds of information instantly so it’s easy to feel qualified to make all of our own decisions. This is how we move away from God since the more we rely on ourselves; the less we rely on Him.

To truly trust God and do His Will means to admit we know nothing for sure except His love of us. All we know is limited by our senses. We are hampered by our own humanness. To do God’s will means to turn over our will completely to God. It is less our own action, than it is waiting, listening and watching for the Will of God to be made known in our lives. It is docility to Divine Providence.

Usually when someone talks about courage, it refers to an action. It is someone risking their own safety to save the life of another or it can refer to taking a risk to accomplish some physical feat. This kind of courage involves using knowledge and fortitude to work through a conflict and come out victorious.

The Lord may ask us to display this type of courage in times of persecution. It is something that the martyrs of the Church have had to do in the past. In today’s society, the Church and its beliefs are being challenged daily with religious freedom taking a back seat to political correctness. We have to stand ready to defend our faith and may be asked to do so in a greater way in our own lives.

But daily, the Lord asks us  to display a different type of courage. He asks us to totally surrender to Him. We are not to use our knowledge, our experience, our opinions or our natural tendencies to try to control our world and those around us. We are to become powerless in a world where power is everything.  He asks us to trust Him in all things. We are asked to stop, listen and discern His Will. He knows what we need and when we need it. Real courage comes from trusting in God and totaling surrendering our wills to Him.