God’s commandments are not meant to be a law we rigidly keep for a ‘get out of jail’ card! The Lord's commandments are not restrictive; they are meant to empower us to love profoundly. It is Jesus' profound love for humanity that leads him to accept his passion and death. The Good News of Jesus is never restrictive but empowering so that we can have life and have it to the full (John 10:10).
Ben Sira’s wisdom offers us this deep insight: God gives us the gift of freedom and the ability to choose and be shaped by love.
Love is the foundational force that shapes our relationships, transforming mere connections into sources of profound meaning, growth, and resilience. At its core, love is more than a fleeting emotion—it's a deliberate choice to prioritise what is of greatest value for us and others. It is never about
me.
Ultimately, love shapes us by reflecting our inherent dignity and capacity for connection. It encourages growth: we become more patient, forgiving, and generous as we invest in others. Without genuine love, relationships can devolve into transactional exchanges or sources of pain; with it, they become transformative spaces where people flourish, heal, and reflect the God of Jesus Christ—selfless care that mirrors the greatest commandment to love one
another.
In a world often driven by self-interest, choosing love actively reshapes how we relate, turning ordinary interactions into opportunities for grace, healing, and a recognition of our shared humanity. When love guides our decisions, our relationships are not only sustained but elevated into expressions of our deepest purpose, the very meaning of our lives. When we choose love, we touch into the deepest need we have and taste
what it is to feel content. Every human heart longs for deep contentment. We often try to fill that longing with material goods, money, power, alcohol, gambling, sex, etc. Our choice to love, even when it is difficult, and allow our relationships to be shaped by love, will lead us to the longings that swirl in our hearts. The commandments of God empower us to love more fully, they open the door to realising some of our deepest longings and remind us that we have the power to choose, as Ben Sira
says, “stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.”
Ask yourself today: How do I view the commandments of God, as restrictive or empowering? In what ways might the commands of the Lord be empowering me to love more in these days of Lent?
