– Ross Belle Santos-Balatbat
“The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice” (John 10:3-4)
Like sheep, we need to be silent and to listen to the Shepherd so he can make the best version of ourselves. We need to be meek and humble like Jesus.
With the Risen Jesus, goodness is victorious forever and His power is with us through the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is being manifested in us: obedience, gentleness, humility, loving, considerate. Our family will see old self disappearing and will experience a new version of us. Our close acquaintances will like to be with us more often because we make them feel at ease.
Sometimes, our shortcomings and weaknesses, our unwarranted desires, our pride and stubbornness make us stray away from the flock. Sometimes we think that our sin is bigger than God’s mercy. We look down on His ability to love us. God’s love for us is bigger than the worst sin we have committed. He is ever ready to welcome us. And this is the first step to bringing out the best in us.
We realize that our lives were caged in by fears and insecurities, we lived inside the box of comfort and conformity. But God’s grace brings about a complete change in us. We have heard His voice through the Scriptures and we are charged with courage and confidence. Our life is far from perfect, but we can say, “I believe the best version of myself is yet to come!” As we receive His body, the bread of life, he transforms us into another Christ. There could be nothing better than that.
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