And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." // Mark 12:34

My mom had a rule for us growing up—if you say you’ll be there, you’ll be there. 

Still, I was quick to ask her if I could get out of things. One specific instance comes to mind from high school where I had committed to assisting weekly at my parish. People were counting on me, yet when the first tired weeknight came along, I went to her for permission to cancel.

I knew before I had even asked the question. I should go. She had already taught me that value of responsibility through the years. As I presented my “I’m-not-in-the-mood” excuses, the simple look in her eyes said it all.

I grabbed my keys and drove to our church.

She still has this effect on me. I called her recently for advice on what to do in a friendship. I slowly realized that it was harder and harder to make a case for “my side.” I talked in circles until I finally said, “Yeah, yeah. I know what to do.”  

My mom always guides me to the right choice (or rather, the loving choice). It’s rarely her words at that exact moment, but it’s what she planted in my heart from the years I spent in her home.

Many of us are quick to complicate holiness, confusing ourselves as we treat relationships like data to analyze and love like a puzzle to solve. We claim that we’re “just trying to do the right thing.”

The truth is, love is more simple, and much more free.

It’s talking to God often, and reading His Word. It’s following the Holy Spirit’s tugs on your heart, that voice in your head that helps you know how to respond. It’s staying quiet enough that you hear what others are actually saying, and choosing to make little sacrifices to stay by their side.

Jesus often gives me the same look my mom does. It’s not demeaning, but completely confident. 

You already know what to do.

Stop doubting what you know. Love God, love others. Do that, and “you are not far from the Kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34).