What our generation has mostly been taught is that if you want to achieve something specific, you have to put everything into it. We're told that we need clear goals and that we should subordinate everything to achieving those goals. As a result, young people who aspire to a certain career undertake stays abroad in various countries—not because they are interested in them, but simply because it looks better on their résumé. Every hobby, every volunteer activity is measured by whether it serves this goal.
For us Christians, the most important goal is not self-fulfillment in our professional lives, but holiness.
For less important goals, like passing the next exam, I'm willing to put in effort. But what am I willing to do to become holy? Why is this harder for me, even though it is so much more important?
One reason is certainly that we will never reach a point where we can say: "I am holy." While there will certainly come a moment when I will either have passed the exam or failed it.
Another reason is that we don’t really know exactly what it means to be holy. It’s often said that a person is holy if they always do God's will. But how do you know if you are doing God’s will? If a supervisor tells me what to do, then I know afterward whether I have done it or not. But God doesn't tell us: "Now do this, then that, and after that, do this other thing."
It seems to me that living in His will means, first and foremost, getting to know Him and seeking Him. Through reading the Holy Scriptures, in prayer, and in contemplation. If I consistently practice these things, I will—at least, I hope so—learn to perceive His will for me personally and act accordingly.
In doing this, I must never forget that becoming holy is a process that demands both active and passive participation from me. No matter how much effort I put in, I can never achieve it through my own strength alone. Holiness is always a gift of grace from God.
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