- Who Am I?
Knowledge of who you are is important to give your life meaning. To guide you into good decisions and to define your true self worth.
We are creatures elevated above all others because we are made in the image of God. In addition, we become children of God through baptism because it is through this sacrament that God adopts us as his children (1 John 3: 1-3).
This is our true identity: children of God. Every other identity pales in comparison.
- Why did God Make You?
God made you to know him, to love him, to serve him and to be happy with him forever in eternal life (Baltimore Catechism, Q.150).
If we act like children of God by doing his will, one day, after death, we will experience pure love with God forever.
- Why Am I here on Earth?
To be tested by your actions toward others: did you love others or only yourself?
Love is patience, kindness and more: 1 Cor 13 . Love sacrifices for the good of others, John 15:13.
Christians have a rich deposit of information about God and how they ought to live their lives on earth. Even non-Christians have some information from which to choose what is right Rom 1: 18-31.
Pass the test that life has given you. Choose to love everyone, forgive everyone. Choose to be like Christ, 1 Cor 11:1, Mt. 5:48.
- Where Am I Headed?
Your direction can be seen in your daily actions, no matter how small. Are you going toward Pure Love (heaven) or to the absence of Love (known as hell where evil reigns?). God does not intend for anyone to go to hell. He made each one of us for heaven. People choose to walk away from God themselves. Where are you heading to?
If you are not on the right track, know that it is never too late to stop and change direction toward heaven, toward God. You can begin now.
- Am I A Good Person in God’s Eyes?
Declaring you are a good person by yourself is problematic. Read here to see why.
Whether you are a good person or not is best answered by a Judge who is perfectly Good and perfectly Just. As Christians, we know this Judge to be God for only God is Good. Use the moral law of God as a yardstick for measuring our behavior. The ten commandments and the beatitudes – both given to us by God – are a good start.
- What is the Theme of My Life?
What theme are you writing out with your life and your daily decisions?
If someone makes an honest movie about your life, what would be the theme? A rugged fighter for good or a hypocrite? Or someone who never chooses good or bad but stays in the middle to be popular with all? Or would it be about the heroic courage of someone who stood for the Truth as revealed by God through Scripture and His Church?
- How do I treat Others?
Do you strive to love and avoid harsh internal or external criticism of others? Do you only love when the person is lovable, good looking, wealthy or can give a benefit?
Love is wishing someone well. Moreover, it is treating them as you would want to be treated, Mt 7:12. Love is practicing all the virtues in the right measure: faith, hope, love, patience, justice, fortitude, among others, 1 Cor 11:1.
Are you making concrete resolutions every week or month to improve in love of neighbor ?
8. Am I Coherent?
Do your good thoughts and actions make sense when taken together or do you ignore contradictions in them?
When you choose to do a good thing, are you considering all the people or elements that ought to be considered? Or do you turn a blind eye to one aspect?
Do you love God but detest certain people in the Church? Do you proclaim the body of Christ but use politics or popularity to judge everything instead of God’s law in Scripture and in the teachings of the Church?
Partial goodness is easy. Everyone can achieve that. Coherence in goodness is not easy. Only children of God can achieve it – with the help of God through the example of Christ and the Saints.
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