Three Attitudes Towards God

Ignatius talked about the purpose of life in the Principle and Foundation. In the following posts we’ll explore bit by bit St. Ignatius’ teaching on the subject. It might be worth noting first of all that no one can impose on you a Purpose for your life. Each person must choose it for themselves. However, as a spiritual director I do run into many people engaged in this search. Ignatius talked about three basic attitudes that give us a sense of purpose. It’s surprising that he’d be able to speak of something so large in such a succinct way. 

These three basic attitudes are: Praise, Reverence and Service. Sometimes this is summarized  simply as being in the right relationship with God. However, those three particular attitudes are important. An attitude of praise towards God will mean to live with our eyes open to the goodness and beauty of creation, it means to live in gratitude. An attitude of Reverence is the recognition that God is “greater”. Greater than my problems, and greater than I might want to make him out to be (I can’t control God or impose my rules on him). Finally an attitude of service requires that I don’t make myself out to be the savior of the world. I serve God and God’s people. I am part of God’s people. To serve God includes seeing the needs around me, but then to ask how God, not my ego, is asking me to deal with those needs, loving others as myself, not more, not less. 

Fr. Pepe Ruiz, SJ