Jesus said to love God and our neighbors. This is God’s will. At the end of yesterday’s post, I wrote that how we live out God’s will may be different for different people. Let’s look at an example.  A couple weeks ago, I noticed two elderly ladies walking into Dunkin Donuts together. A few minutes later, one of the ladies lost her balance, fell down and hit her head. The woman lay on the floor, not able to get right up.  A young man rushed to her side, encouraged her to lay still and reassured her she’d get help. An employee called 911; another employee brought a towel for her to lay her head on. I gathered her belongings, which had scattered, and gave them to her friend.  Another customer brought a chair over so her friend could sit next to her.  One customer was a medical doctor and attended her until the emergency personnel arrived. All of these were acts of love.

Sometimes, we get so worried about making a wrong choice that we do nothing at all. We can be freed from worry knowing God gives us freedom to act in our own way, within our own abilities and character. We are God’s beloved children, each with individual personalities and gifts. God wants to impart values to us, but gives us freedom for how to live them out. St. Augustine said, “Love God and do what you will.” In other words, as long as you get the love part right, the rest will follow naturally. Your actions will reflect your heart. If you love God, you will act lovingly. If you act lovingly, you are doing God’s will. There are many ways to show love and to act lovingly. You are free to love and live and act in whatever way you express love.

Perhaps we’re asking the wrong question. Perhaps, instead of asking what God’s will is for us, we should be asking what we can do to help fulfill God’s will. What gifts and passions do we have that will help bring about God’s will?  Read Galatians 5, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Annie