BEING DIFFERENT

All of us seek to be loved, accepted and appreciated. We want people to like us and actually that's fine. But this may always not be helpful because many times, if we go overboard, we may end up becoming 'people-pleasers' with no identity of our own. Actually in the world around us we do see a lot of such things happening as we see young people especially trying to ape and follow their friends at the cost of common sense and at times, even their values and emotions. This results in heart breaks, painful situations and grief (and for some depression). The world around us offers us a lot - money, fame, power, glamour, all kinds of pleasure and amusements but this is not the real life and getting everything we want is not the right way. In today's Gospel reading we see Jesus teaching his disciples to take the NARROW GATE which leads to eternal life. Actually, I feel he says to all of us that even though living for God and his Kingdom may be difficult and tough in the natural world yet if you hang on, you will see great results in your life. There is a promise of blessing in these words of Christ - promise of everlasting peace, love and joy. Don't we all long for that? Yet, we often choose the WIDE WAY of the world and its false pleasures and end in pain. Whereas, Jesus promises that HIS LIFE of truth and righteousness will bless us eternally. So lets choose today for ourselves...God bless...