Saint Paul
Fr. Tryphon.
We are powerless to
change those bad habits that dominate our lives without help from God.
However we may attempt to change behavior, we can not do battle with the
passions unless we surrender ourselves in humility to God, for such
change can only come about by God’s grace. Struggle as we may, our flesh
will resist until that moment we seek help from the Lord of Mercy, Who
is quick to hear our plea for help.
Many years ago, while teaching, I worked
with another instructor who was arrogant, and condescending to anyone
whom he felt was beneath him. There was a wonderful black woman who
served as the head cook in the school’s cafeteria, a woman of wisdom,
and with whom I enjoyed countless conversations (I was the
disciplinarian during the two lunch periods in an all boys high school).
I’d often sit with the cook, enjoy a cup of coffee, along with her
wonderful home made cookies. This other teacher walked into the
cafeteria to ask me about one of the students, and while speaking to me
he totally ignored the cook. Race had nothing to do with it, for he was
also black.
As he walked away, I found myself
apologizing for his behavior, only to have the cook tell me that she
loved him regardless of his treatment of her, for she knew Jesus loved
him. “He doesn’t have to love me, for me to love him”, she told me. The
cook was the only one on the staff who seemed to like him, and she was
the one he totally ignored. This was a lesson I’ve never forgot. I don’t
always succeed in loving everyone, and there are certain people that I
sometimes find myself wishing I could avoid, but the cook’s words linger
in my heart, and I try to love everyone, and try to return good for
evil.
The holy Apostle Paul tells us, “I can
do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)”, for
he said of himself, “For that which I do I know not: for what I would,
that do I not; but what I hate, that do I (Romans 7:15).” He said of
himself, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me (Galatians 2:20).”
When Christ is invited into our hearts,
it is important that we keep His commandments, and follow His example.
To expect Christ to change our behavior, without making an effort of our
own, is to invite failure. The Christian life is one of ascetic
struggle, and not just in regards to keeping the fasts, and standing in
prayerful vigil. If we are to be transformed by the power of the Holy
Spirit, we must live the Gospels, and must put the message of the
Gospels into practice.
If there is someone we don’t like, we
must put on Christ, interacting with this person as though we do love
them, for by being obedient to Christ, we will find that we can, indeed,
love them. If we find ourselves being jealous of another person, say an
office co-worker who’s received a promotion, we must congratulate them,
and offer our support. Even if others are telling us we should have
been the one who received the promotion, we embrace the decision of
office management, as though it came from God, and as an opportunity to
grow in humility.
It is easy to compartmentalize our
Christian faith, reserving the “spiritual” for times spent in church.
However, it is in the day to day, often mundane, moments that we can
find the opportunities to grow in Christ. These are the moments when we
must put into action what we’ve received during the services, knowing
that Christ is providing us the means by which we can attain the
sanctification that makes us one with Him. If we think our journey into
the heart should be easy, we are fooling ourselves.
By Fr. Tryphon, Abbot of All-Merciful Savior Monastery
This article originally appeared in The Morning Offering on March 15, 2012 and was posted here with permission.
Source-Pemptousia.com
