In the first reading there is a very much depressed Job who
has given up on life. It is understandable for him to react in such a
way. He endured a lot of suffering. He lost all he had, family and
property. To make things worse, a malady of the skin gave him a lot of itching and it was unbearable. He had reason to be thinking in such a way.
There are those now who are truly in the middle of something grave, and they may start to lose hope. They become restless. They cannot even go to sleep because of overthinking their situation in life. Job had a reason to complain, but many others complain about minor things. Many now start to think in such a way, with the little things that happen in their life. Many may think “I shall not see happiness again” when their situation is not dire or grave. They just like to complain.
The readings are saying instead of complaining do something about it. Instead of wallowing, and seeing yourself as a victim, change the situation with the help of God. Restoration may happen. Last week the readings were about embracing the prophet call, so be more of a prophet and less of a complainer. Once restored, then help others for restoration.
In the second reading St. Paul reminds us of the duty to bring the good news to others, free of charge. So as a person embarks in recovery to bring hope to others, there are some things to keep in mind while helping others. First, the gospel is free of charge. It pains the heart of a pastor when people exploit using their status to get people to give money to whatever cause. No one should take advantage of the generosity of God’s people. No one should imply they need something in return for sharing the Gospel. It may seem some people bring more misery to the people who are already struggling than help from God. The second thing to keep in mind is work tirelessly doing good to others. Now that a person has recovered and no longer sulking about their lives, now they
can focus their energy to help others who are indeed in dire
predicaments. The advice is to follow the pattern of life of the Lord, who gave a wonderful example of how to do ministry. He got up early in the morning before dawn. He prayed for a while. He started working healing the sick until the evening, after sunset. The Lord had a very good working ethic. He worked hard to create a positive change on the lives of people. He was not sitting there comfortably waiting for others to do the work. Even less, he was not there complaining about how bad things were in the world. The third thing, remember there is a messiah and it's not you. St. Paul said he did all he could to save at least some. And even Jesus did heal many, but not all the sick in one day. Remember, to lead people to real the Messiah, and not to create a personal following. Do not attract attention to self, wanting to be the most popular whatever. Be a servant, help others without trying to get noticed. Let the works speak for themselves, and always point people to
Christ. As collaborators restored from our previous condition, we are called to keep these things in mind so many souls can be saved. More work and less complaints, it is necessary for the salvation of souls, starting with one’s own soul.