Chapter Nine – What Sets Them Apart?

In the last two chapters we have looked at some wonderful examples of saintly men and women whose lives should inspire us to be the-best-version-of-ourselves. Matthew asks “what sets them apart from the rest of us?” He says that there are two main differences: single-minded purpose and habits that reinforced their goals. It does not matter if the field is business, sports, or spirituality. The same principles of purpose and habits apply. They are the fundamentals of human excellence.

Singleness of purpose implies a stated and focused goal. The entire world will move aside for the person who knows where they are going. Saint Ignatius of Loyola had this in mind when he established the First Principle and Foundation:

Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created.    

Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.

Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. Consequently, as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things.

Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created.
  

The saints tried each moment of their lives to align themselves with the will of God. It was this synthesis and the surrender of their own individual will to the will of God that made them saints. We are given free will to make our choices in life. God wants us to become all we can be. To attain this we must empty ourselves so that he can fill us up. It is this daily seeking of God’s will that helps us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves. It is how we achieve holiness. 

Holiness is as simple as knowing when to say yes and when to say no. But in order to say no to anything, we have to find that “deeper yes” of life. It is this deeper yes that most of us lack. This deeper yes is found in the guidance of the Holy Spirit who strengthens us in such a way as to help us fix our gaze on the Lord. It allows us to see each moment throughout the day as an opportunity to do the will of God. The Spirit helps us to live justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with the Lord (cf. Micah 6:8). 

But walking humbly with God is difficult. It requires habits that reinforce our goal to do his will. The habits that diminish us are easily acquired with virtually no effort while the habits that allow us to celebrate and defend the best-version-of-ourselves require real effort and openness to the grace of God. What are your habits? What are the things you do every day? Are these habits helping you become the better-version-of-yourself or are they self-diminishing?

Matthew closes this chapter by reminding us that if we want our future to be different from our past, there is only one-way: Change your habits! Our lives change when our habits change. We can see this reality in the lives of our heroes. What set them apart from the rest? They had a single-minded purpose that was reinforced by better habits than all the rest of us.        

 
Question

What is your single-minded purpose in life? What are your habits today? Are these habits assisting or diminishing your purpose?

In peace,
Dan