Whatever it takes

Gambling is one of the fastest growing addictions in
America today. Mania for winning the lottery or striking it
rich at the casino reveals a general tendency to want to get
something for nothing, or at least for the minimum amount of
effort. Many people enter the job market expecting bigger
salaries for fewer hours of work. Investors want big pay-offs
with the least amount of risk. Millions of people want all
kinds of benefits, but are unwilling to pay the price.
In real life, however, there are no free lunches. Nobody
gets anything for nothing. If we received a good education,
we more than likely worked very hard to get it. If our
marriages and family lives are prospering, it has taken a lot of
good will and effort. If we are making good money at our
jobs, we are undoubtedly earning it. This is a lesson
confirmed in this weekend’s Gospel reading in which Jesus
proclaims that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” While this
is good news, there is a condition attached; something that
applies to any good thing in life: Entrance to the kingdom has
its price. We need to make ourselves ready for it with a
change of heart. Jesus tells us simply, “Repent!”
I am sure all of us would relish a life of peace, love,
kindness, and compassion. We wish harmony existed among
all people, and that trust and tolerance were universally in
evidence. We long for the time when war will be at an end,
where civil strife will be no more, and where sharing is a way
of life for more and more people. This would indeed be
kingdom living! Unfortunately, kingdom living remains a
utopia for the most part because few are willing to make the
effort required to bring it about.
We speak passionately about ideals but often fall short of
the practical discipline required to make them real. We want
the benefits of kingdom living but we don’t want the change in
vision and life-style that makes those benefits possible!
However, if we are truly earnest about kingdom living and
growing spiritually, we must be committed to paying the
piper! The question, therefore, remains: Are we willing to pay
the price? How much is kingdom living worth? Are we
willing to repent and make the teachings of Jesus a practical
part of everyday life? In whatever we set about, are we
willing to pay the price for what we want out of life, in our
careers, in our relationships, in our self-improvement?
Contrary to popular belief, successful people in all walks
of life are not simply “lucky;” they are people willing to do
“whatever it takes!” Are we willing to do whatever it takes to
make the Kingdom come?