“If
you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for
men—you may make some money and you may give someone a little joy and you may
make a noise in the world for a little while. If you write only for yourself,
you can read what you yourself have written and after ten minutes you will be
so disgusted you will wish that you were dead.” (New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton)
Ain’t that the
truth!
One
could substitute any action instead of ‘write’ in the above quote—and it would
still be profound. If you--sing, dance,
cook, invent, work, live--for God, your impact will be immeasurable, and
your life will be a blessing to many. If you are motivated by the applause of humans,
you may make some money, provide a temporary distraction to some, and bring yourself
a bit of fame. If you live for your own gratification, it won’t be long before
you look back on your life with disgust and regret.
We
all spend a lot of time deciding on our occupations. What shall we do; what
shall occupy us during our time on
earth? Maybe we should consider not only what
we do, but also for whom we are doing
it!
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