WAIT FOR THE LORD...SOAR

What is the relation of [contemplation] to action? Simply this. He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others. He will communicate to them nothing but the contagion of his own obsessions, his aggressiveness, his ego-centered ambitions, his delusions about ends and means, his doctrinaire prejudices and ideas. There is nothing more tragic in the modern world than the misuse of power and action. ----Thomas Merton

I lifted the above Merton quote from Fr. Richard Rohr's "Daily Meditation" of this morning. The entire quote perfectly describes what I believe (but never realized enough to verbalize) about "self-determined objectives."

I have learned from actual personal experience that most any self-determined objective of mine that started out in my mind as good, for the benefit of another, spiritual in nature, with no conscious thought for myself invariably ended up either ticking the other off or leaving me feeling used and abused, the victim of my own self-perceived goodness.

And the why of that is: I attempted to act and do things for others without deepening my own self-understanding and capacity to love, and did not have anything to give others. I communicated to them nothing but the contagion of my own obsessions, my ego-centered me. 

Which translates to: I attempted to do God's work without a by-your-leave to God about it. My intent was above my reach so to speak. Without first seeking God's will, the best, the highest spiritual intent in this world or the next is still and ever "the road to hell, paved with good intentions."

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary. --  Isa. 40:31

Thank you.