Catechism: Finding YourselfSample

We’re often encouraged to say “yes” to ourselves. Do you see something you like? Buy it with a click. Are you craving a specific meal? Have it delivered in the next hour. Do you feel like watching a show? Binge it immediately. The problem with this way of life? We spend our lives chasing that next hit of instant gratification. Instead of being in charge of our desires, we become slaves to them, working to satisfy their every craving. And while shopping and eating and Netflix might seem harmless, what happens when we let our sinful desires become our master?

Jesus invites us to do something radically countercultural: not get caught up in this endless pursuit to get whatever we want. And the amazing thing we’ll discover is that saying “no” to ourselves actually means saying “yes” to something better: the freedom of living as our true selves in God, no longer enslaved to our desires, but trusting Jesus to give us the most fulfilling, satisfying joy we could ever know.

Read: Romans 6:12-14

Reflection Questions:

• What does it look like to “let sin control the way you live”? What does it look like to use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God”?
• In what areas of your life might Jesus call you to surrender to God? Talk to Jesus about these areas and ask him to help you.
• Think about our culture’s messages on gender and sexuality. Why does what we do with our bodies matter so much to God? In what ways do you need the Lord to transform the way you think and act?