Let’s Do Our Duty, Even If Tough

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, …. David remained at Jerusalem.” (2Sam. 11:1) This seemingly insignificant line in the scripture describes the first step by King David that led to a great disaster. 

David’s duty was to be with his army and yet he decided to stay home and rest. “It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking upon the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.(2Sam. 11:2) 

Doing our duty is not just about doing our duty, it’s about keeping ourselves out of “Harms Way”. Doing what God calls us to do is the best defense against temptation. Often our duty may seem insignificant… it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t really matter if I take a break… so what if I cut my class or skip work or miss that meeting or skip my prayer time… I’ll make it up later…no big deal. Well, maybe or maybe not.

If David had done his duty and been with his army, he wouldn’t have been around to committ adultery with Bathsheba and to then murder her husband Uriah and to then try to cover it all up. His kingship was never the same. God did forgive David but a lot of damage was done.

So often we are tempted to scrimp on doing our duty, on doing God’s will. I’m not necessarily talking about a major issue although anytime we don’t do God’s will, it’s pretty important. 

It’s never easy to do God’s will. We have to deny our self and pick up our cross… even the small crosses require some suffering and denial. St. Maximilian Kolbe says “ God knows better than we do what is useful: health or sickness, wealth or poverty, respect or defamation. We can and should pray when we are discouraged, but it is essential to defer to the will of God.” (Maximilian Kolbe, Magnificat 8-14-22)

Sometimes I don’t feel like going to my men’s group or getting up for daily mass or going to the  prayer meeting on a Sunday afternoon … I’m tired and want to stay home and watch the Cardinals game or “The 3 Stooges” or just “veg out”. Yet, I promised the Lord and my friends that I would come. When I decide to be a man of my word and go, I’m always blessed and protected from temptation that may be lurking around if I “call in sick”. 

St. Maximillian ends with calling us to have courage….“Courage,then !”  So, Let’s pray for one another to do our duty, to do God’s will. And all will be well with our soul. And that is very good news.