[Editor's Note: This article is the fifth and final in a series on the theme “Being a Man after God’s Heart.” Click on the appropriate link to find the first article, the second article, the third article, or the fourth article]
Our Heavenly Father is seeking men after His own heart (1 Sm 13:14), men who will put their faith and trust in Him and who will seek to do His will and the things that are most pleasing to Him. Although this cannot be done without God’s grace, we still have a part to play. Here are some practical steps we can take each day which will allow God’s grace to flow more freely, so we can truly be men after God’s heart.
1. When you get up each morning, take a few minutes to give your life to Jesus and commit your heart and your circumstances to Him. Call out to the Spirit with words like these: “Lead me today, Holy Spirit. Take me where you want me to go. Breathe the thoughts of God into my mind, and heal whatever is not pleasing to you. Help me to see others through the eyes of Christ.”
2. Each day, be sure to make time to be with Jesus in prayer. Talk to Him and listen to Him. Even when your time seems scarce, ask the Holy Spirit to help you find the opportunity to spend perhaps ten minutes in prayer in the Lord’s presence. As you spend time with Jesus in prayer, you will take on some of His characteristics. You will deepen your understanding of Christ and strengthen your relationship with Him, so you can become more like Him.
3. Each day, try to carve out five to ten minutes (or more) to read Scripture (especially the Gospels) and let God’s words penetrate your heart. Since Scripture is God’s living word, you can expect that He will speak to you directly through it. You will also find as you spend more and more time reading the Gospels that Jesus’s words and actions will often come to mind as you face different situations in your life.
4. During the day, listen for the Spirit’s inner promptings. Perhaps it will be a time to just thank the Lord for His love and His blessings. Perhaps He will give you a word of wisdom and encouragement for someone who needs to hear them. Maybe He will lead you to pray (perhaps with others) for someone who needs healing or is going through a difficult circumstance. Maybe He will lead you to visit someone who is lonely. Maybe He’ll lead you to a specific Scripture passage to feed your spirit.
5. Every night, just before bed, examine your day. Thank Jesus for all the blessings He's given you. Thank Him for the grace He gave you to do His will. Repent of any opportunities when you chose not to do His will. Ask Him for forgiveness for any sin.
6. Receive the Eucharist as often as you can and receive the sacrament of reconciliation regularly. Through the graces of these sacraments, you will be strengthened and transformed as you receive the very life of Jesus and experience His forgiveness.
As you begin to take these simple steps, you will be allowing Jesus to rule more fully in your heart. You will find that your heart will desire more of the things that Jesus desires, and you will be filling your mind with His thoughts. The devil will have a difficult time finding an entrance or weakness in your life. Instead of having power to move you away from good things close to the heart of God, the devil will be cast aside as he runs into Jesus, the “stronger man,” standing guard.
“Lord Jesus, I invite you to establish your throne in my heart every day so I can be a man after God’s heart.”
(This article by Maurice Blumberg was part of the Catholic Men’s E-zine, Being a Man After God’s Heart, (Nov-Dec 2002 issue) which is available on the NFCM website. You may e-mail them at firstname.lastname@example.org. Many thanks to the The Word Among Us for allowing us to include in this article material from various daily meditations.)
Please go to the next page for discussion questions for Catholic Men's study groups.
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. In what ways can the steps listed above help us to be men after God’s heart? Are there any that you think are not practical right now for your life? Are there any additional steps you would add or delete?
2. Develop a daily plan for yourself for being a man after God’s heart. Are there at least two or three steps that you are willing to commit to each day during the next few weeks? If you meet with other men in a Catholic men’s group, share with them the fruits of your daily plan at your next men’s group meeting. If not, share the fruits with another man.
3. What additional steps can you implement in the future as part of your everyday life (over and above those previously identified)? What impact do you expect these additional steps to have on helping you to be a man after God’s heart? Again, at a future men’s group meeting, share the impact these additional steps have had on you or share the impact with another man.