Reflection 262- The Rule of Love or Justice

We cannot escape the Hand of God. He is the one who sustains the Universe and keeps all things in being. Without His constant care we would cease to exist. But we remain under His providential Hand in one of two ways. Either we are guided by the “rule of love” or by the “rule of justice.” The rule of justice is God’s way of guiding our lives when we turn away from Him. We cannot escape His justice here or at the time of death. When we sin, especially in a serious way, we become slaves to our sin on account of the justice of God. He leaves us to experience the imprisonment of sin on account of His great Mercy. It is Mercy in that the ill effects of His justice are imposed so as to call us to repentance. But those who live under the rule of love are blessed to live on a whole new level. These holy souls bask in the Mercy of God and are freed from the effects of sin. They experience the numerous fruits of the Spirit and act in accord with the holy Will of God (See Diary #1315).

Which rule do you live by? Are you regularly falling from grace and encountering the justice of God in your life? Or are you striving to live by His rule of love? Wherever you find yourself today, know that it is a gift of God’s Mercy. Allow His justice to redirect your life when you fall, and seek to embrace the full outpouring of His Mercy. The Lord will never leave you, but it’s up to you how you will experience His Mercy.

My Lord, I desire to be filled with Your merciful presence in my life. I pray that I will daily turn from my sin and experience the freedom and joy that comes from living by Your rule of love. Help me, dear Lord, to always make the right choices in my life so as to be drawn into the abundant life You have in store for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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