It's Your Choice

Getting closer to Christ is a choice. And it's not the kind of choice where you just say "I choose to be closer to Christ". It's an active choice. You have to make the choice again every single day, and you have to work at it.

Going on retreats is great. But if you don't put anything into the retreat, you're not going to get anything out of it. You can't blame the retreat for not taking you closer to Christ if you refuse to turn off your cell phone, stop talking, and focus on the Lord.

I understand that there are people who love to talk. I understand this because I am one of them. But I also understand that sometimes I have to shut up and let God talk.

I was on a retreat this weekend and I saw something that really bothered me. I saw a person put her phone on vibrate and put it in front of herself during Mass, so she could still see, and respond to, any text messages she recieved. And then she said she wasn't getting anything out of the retreat.

I could have stolen her phone and duct taped her mouth shut for the rest of the retreat but that wouldn't have helped. She has to make that choice. The choice to turn off the phone. The choice to stop talking. The choice to focus on Christ.

Most of the people who say they can't get closer to God can't get closer because they don't want to get closer. They say they do but their actions tell us the truth. If you really want to get close to God you have to actively choose to get closer to Him.