If we desire the Blessing, we should concentrate first on how to live solely for God’s will. When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, he prayed that not his own will but God’s will be done. He did not choose the path of the cross because of his own will. Unless, like Jesus, you are confident of being able to overcome the problems of life and death, you cannot welcome or walk the path of restoration. Are you confident enough to dedicate your life for God’s will? If you take this course, you should know you cannot go alone; you must able to relate to all people, and be able to console those who are going to follow you on this path.
Are you really ready to sacrifice your life! You cannot think, “I am a young girl with a beautiful face; I can be welcomed anywhere I go, and I have no particular defects. A girl like myself cannot do sacrificial work.” Or, “I am a man with a great physical body and handsome appearance, with a great family. Whatever I want I can get very easily, So, as such a wonderful man, I cannot do such rigorous sacrificial work.” What’s more, you should not be bitter about walking a sacrificial path.
When Jesus was shouldering the cross, he could have deplored his situation, saying, “I should not have to do this kind of thing. I have not yet married, even though I am a 33 year old man. My mission and my value have not yet been realized.” But Jesus could not think that way. Death was not a problem for him; he was ready to sacrifice his life, and the weight of the cross that he was shouldering could not deter him. Although he fell down physically, he didn’t waver internally, because of his great stamina. No other man in history has ever had such a strong determination connected with God, and because of Jesus’ great strength, human history took a new direction. This became God’s new starting point on earth.
Two thousand years have passed since that time, but the spirit of Jesus has not passed away. Instead, it has been inherited by millions of people. How happy we can be today – to inherit such an important mission – the tradition of Jesus! Therefore, it doesn’t matter if we lose our lives. We should cry out in the darkness of death and shatter that darkness by the light of God’s heart. We should make that light shine throughout all the world. We must become that kind of man or woman. This is the challenge. Originally, the fall of man meant death; salvation means the overcoming of death. If we are determined to be saved, we should be willing to be bold. If we succeed, the world will head in a new direction. We should be excited! Are you confident that you can overcome the problems of life and death? I have faced issues of life and death many, many times – hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of times. Although I may face suffering and pain, although my legs may be cut off and my eyes extracted, and even if I’m beheaded, I am still strongly determined to complete that course I started. My conviction is absolute.
Restoration and Blessing
Reverend Sun Myung Moon
February 2, 1969
As I Can See 