The Parts That Are Ignored

 

                Most people spend their time distracting themselves from things uncomfortable, from things awkward, and from interacting with strangers. At the same time, we do not know what is taking place in someone’s mind, in someone’s heart, and in the secret lives of others. In many cases, people don’t want to be a burden on others and will wear a mask that shows happiness, contentment, and satisfaction with one’s current life situation.

               The cold, the sad, the miserable, and the shriveled soul desires to remain hidden and unknown to others. Frequently when someone comes into a room, they want to be the center of attention, the one that people enjoy interacting with, and the one who tells the good stories, and the funny jokes. Every person wants to be seen as the friendly, the loving, and the attractive one that draws everyone’s attention and preference for interaction.

               Are you the one to whom people go for encouragement, for energy, and for wisdom? If you are, do you have someone from whom you can gain these things when you are in need? Each person has only so much strength, so much wisdom and so much energy to share, eventually these things will deplete, will run out, and will leave you feeling empty when you give it all away to others. If you drain yourself, you will be miserable, you will be lonely and there is a good chance that when that happens, you will have nothing left to keep yourself going.

               When we meet someone, sometimes that person will communicate their miserable state by their words, the look in their eyes and their actions. Don’t be the only one giving, be the one who gives, encourages, and supports but also find someone from whom you can be strengthened and encouraged, so that you are not left empty and alone.

               In most cases, people need input, need love, need interaction, and have a passion for peace. There are a few people out there who are crushed by the oppression of social interaction, the drain of putting out too much, and find that solitude creates a setting for them to find peace, find happiness, and find joy, without having to consistently push back against others who only want to drain them so as to build themselves up.

               Do not feel guilty if you need quiet time, if you need solitude, and you need peace rather than pretending to enjoy social interaction and wearing a fake mask so that others think that everything is good with you. Don’t be the one who only puts out, who always depletes yourself so that others can be built up and encouraged. Find someone to help you so that you can be genuine with who you truly are.

               Honesty is always better because deception against yourself and against others does no one any good. Identify your weaknesses, find someone who can help you grow, who can help you overcome those things that are corrupting and polluting your life, so that you can grow, be strong, and become a better person.

Secrets You Don't Know

 

                Everyone has weaknesses, has faults, is self-centered and egotistical, with this sort of mind in place that controls us, we will tend to judge others who are different from us, we look upon the sins and faults of others and condemn them for their bad choices. At the same time, we fail to see our own weaknesses, our own faults, our own downfalls, and the offenses we commit in the sight of God, forgetting that our sins are our responsibility. The sins that others embrace and practice are none of our business, unless this person asks for our input, guidance, or thoughts.

               The first error we make when we look upon others, when we judge others, and when we condemn others, we forget that each person had a childhood, had interaction with others, and often times suffered under the hands of someone who was supposed to care for them. If you enjoyed a childhood free of abuse, free of neglect, and filled with love and protection, you need to remember that not everyone enjoyed that kind of love and safety.

               When we see someone else acting, speaking, or thinking in a certain way, we need to remember that they are thinking, speaking, and acting in this way because of how they were formed, how they were raised, and how others spoke to them while they transitioned through childhood and into adulthood. It should be common sense to understand that those with whom we interact will not share the secrets, the abuses, and the torments they endured as a child.

               The metaphor of art can be used to understand why someone is the way they are, why they think, speak, and act the way they do. If someone gives you a lump of clay and instructs you to make something out of it, it is your responsibility to make something, hopefully something beautiful. If you are ignorant, mean spirited, and uncultured, your creation will likely not be beautiful. The fruit of your work will be a reflection of the state of your heart, soul, and mind.

               If you meet someone, or interact with someone who is socially inept, who seems incapable of expressing love and kindness, then it is very likely that you may be the one person who can love them, help them, and draw them toward that which is good, right, and beautiful. If everything they experienced in their childhood was abuse, unkindness and neglect, do your best to be a display of love and kindness so that they can become a different and better person.

               Historically, the Church has communicated that every person that we meet is an image of Jesus Christ, therefore we need to see them, help them, direct them, and love them. Every person is made in the image of God and deserves to be loved, deserves to be protected, and deserves kind words regardless of how difficult it may be to give kindness and love in the face of anger, disdain, and hatred. The Christian faith is summarized with two simple phrases: love God and love your neighbor. If you cannot love your neighbor, then you cannot love God.

               Ask yourself a simple question, how do you want others to treat you? Do you want disdain, anger, and unkindness poured out upon you. Most people have the tendency to downplay their own sins, downplay their own weaknesses, and are quick to judge and condemn others for their sins. Be the person in someone else’s life who will encourage them, who will build them up, and will draw them toward holiness and a change of life toward something good and beautiful.

Surrounded

                Historically speaking, the historic Christian Church speaks about being surrounded in two ways. First, as is mentioned in Holy Scripture, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. This is referring to everyone who is part of the people of God, either physically alive or reposed. This concept is clearly seen in the use of icons in the Church for the last twenty centuries. Acknowledging and using icons in the Church services and in prayer communicates the truth that those who have physically reposed are still part of the one, true, holy, apostolic Church.

               Second, all of mankind is constantly surrounded by angelic powers and by demonic powers. The angelic powers are present to protect us, guard us, and drive away the attacks of the evil ones. When a man sins, he is creating a barrier between himself and the angelic powers. Sin is something that goodness, holiness, and purity cannot stand to see or face. The idea that sin is contrary to life, contrary to holiness, and contrary to pursing the path of that which is good, right, and true needs to be kept in the forefront of one’s mind.

               Even now as you are reading this, you are surrounded by the people of God, either physically alive or physically reposed. You are also surrounded by angelic powers who are seeking to protect you and guard you from the attacks of evil. You are also surrounded by demonic powers who will use every opportunity to corrupt you and drive you toward wicked behavior, wicked thoughts, and wicked words.

               Think of your mind like a funnel, into which demonic powers will try to cast ugly, sinful, and corrupt thoughts in an effort to keep you away from holiness, to keep you away from developing a loving relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Do not allow anyone or anything to move you away from holiness, move you away from love and move you toward that which is ugly, perverse, and corrupt.

               Life is a constant battle, a constant war, and unending temptation to do what is contrary to human life. Man was not made to sin, made was made to love God, to love his neighbor, and to do good to those around him. Think of sin like you think of fast food, it provides nothing of value for you, for those around you, or any benefit for you in the long term. Yes, the desire to do something may sound appealing in the moment, but the long-term impact of doing something morally wrong will drive you further away from the Holy Trinity, creating a barrier and a distance between you and our Savior. 

Death of a Loved One

 

                Most of us have gone through the suffering of losing a loved one, physical death means permanent separation from someone we love, someone whose company we enjoy, and the recurring emptiness of their absence. In most cases, when someone we love physically dies, the suffering we experience is based on selfishness, on not being able to interact with them any longer, but in some cases, when someone passes, we understand that their sudden departure is a means for their suffering to come to an end.

               From a Christian perspective, when death takes someone, it is never incidental or accidental, everyone has “x” amount of days to live and the number of those days is different for everyone. If we step away from our own selfish grief, we may recognize and understand that our loved one has departed because it was the right time for them to transition into eternity.

               In some cases, we may see our loved one begin down a self-destructive path, and when their time finally comes when they cease to physically exist, we should see that everything is better for them to make that transition at this moment, rather than continuing to suffer, to be overwhelmed with grief, or to continue to descend into loss and despair.

               Everyone makes choices in life, choices that directly impact the quality of their existence, and the number of days that they have to continue living and hopefully continue being loving, productive, and positively impacting those around them. When someone begins making choices in isolation, they may make bad choices which will negatively impact them, and the lives of those around them.

               One’s use of time, one’s use of substances, and one’s use of people will all directly impact their life, the lives of those who love them, and the potential for continued positive impact on their social circles. Life needs to be seen as a time when we can pursue holiness, pursue love, and help those around us. One’s life is a time for repentance, so that one does not continue building up a mountain of corruption, hatred, ugliness, and sin, all of which will pollute one’s life and negatively impact those around him.

The historic Christian faith understands and promotes the idea of using one’s time to struggle against sin, to struggle against those things that will make one’s life continually dark and corrupt. The more one repents, the better one’s life will be as he continues down the path in the pursuit of holiness.

Through Suffering

 

The metaphor of the athlete is often used to describe the value of struggle, of suffering, and of hard work to accomplish a goal. Anyone with common sense, with the ability to think clearly, and the ability to see the consequences of one’s actions will understand that in order to reach a goal you have set for yourself, working hard, gaining knowledge, gaining understanding and gaining wisdom are requirements for success.

To successfully complete running a marathon, one must exercise and practice for months or years in advance. To succeed in any sporting event or any athletic endeavor one must practice, rehearse, work hard, and struggle against the desire to take the easy path. To succeed as a musician, as a vocalist, or in any other field of choice, great effort, struggle, and passion are required to be acknowledged and recognized as one worthy of attention.

When a challenge works its way into our life, into our path, or within our mind, we need to understand the challenge, understand the consequences of not dealing with or conquering the challenge if we are hoping to be successful. Taking control of our bodies, forcing ourselves to not take the easy path of laziness or distraction is difficult work to achieve.

Our minds are like our bodies in this same regard. Think of your mind like a funnel, if someone throws something at you, the natural response is to try to avoid being hit by the projectile. Too often most people will embrace whatever thought comes into their mind, run with it, dwell on it, and make it the bulk of their attention.

Even better, when corrupt, perverse, ugly, or illegal thoughts come into our minds, we need to redirect our thoughts onto something good, right, and beautiful so that we are not willfully corrupting ourselves. Very much like our diet, if we want to be healthy, we eat fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, low salt, low fat, and high-quality food. A steady diet of fast food, snacks, and soda will not lead to a strong, healthy body.

Be thoughtful, be wise, and be intelligent about what you allow to take control of your mind, your heart, and your attention. Seek after that which is good, right, and beautiful. It is through hard work, struggle, and suffering that we will become better, stronger, and wiser. Success does not come from taking the easy path, the lazy path, or a life of distraction.

Not Immortal

 

                Despite our best intentions, no one will live forever on this earth. At some point in one’s life, our mortal bodies begin to slow down, wear out, and drift toward an unavoidable end. Our metabolism slows down, we begin to gain weight, we lose muscle mass and we cannot do the things we did when we were in our twenties and thirties.

               Time has a frightening way of catching up with us. At best, each person may live to reach one hundred years or possibly one hundred and twenty. Staying active, staying attentive, and always adding to our pool of learning, we can continue to be good, holy, and righteous people, making sacrifices for those we love, and for those we do not know.

               Learning to be humble, learning to put others first, and thinking better of others than we think of ourselves will lead us down the right path. Focusing on and feeding our lust for power, our lust for pleasure, and our desire to be comfortable will not bring us to where we need to be to be prepared for eternity.

               We need to remember to live in the present, to live in the moment, and to always speak with kindness, with love, with compassion, and with the goal of making the lives of others better than it is at the current moment. If we focus on being good right now, being holy right now, and seeking after beauty and truth, we are pushing ourselves toward that which is for our benefit and the benefit of others.

               The manner that we shape our hearts, our thinking, and our passions will determine our final outcome and the state we will experience in eternity. If we focus on pleasure, on comfort, and on distraction while we live on this earth, we will find that our eternity will be miserable, as we have neglected to pursue the love of holiness and beauty.

               Learning from those who lived lives of holiness before us, will make our lives better, will make our eternity better, and will make us a valuable contributor to those around us. Do not let yourself be distracted by the silliness and inanity of your current culture, focus on truth, on beauty, on holiness, and on righteousness. Love God, love your neighbor, and pursue holiness.

Changing Trajectory

 

                Being brutally honest about your state of mind, the state of your heart, and the path you are currently traveling is rare to find in someone. A really good approach to documenting yourself, what you think about, what you fabricate in your heart and mind, is to write these things down when they come to you. This is a frightening practice to undertake, to see in writing what goes on in your mind, what you enjoy thinking about, and how you spend your time.

               Another good approach to understanding reality is to visit places that are stricken with poverty, immersed in corruption, and socially/culturally failing. We can look at others, see the choices they make, and know that these choices will often lead to failure. Does the image we create for others to see align with what actually goes on in our hearts and minds?

               One can or should visit those in prison to see what life choices will lead to, result in, and end with. Are our thoughts good, right and beautiful, or are they corrupt, perverse, and ugly. Anyone who is reasonable will not act on whatever thoughts come into their minds, if these thoughts are criminal. Find those in the past and those around you who are wise, and imitate them, so that you do not end up destroying everything you have built this far into your life.

               If you are honest with yourself, and you can see the likely end result of continuing on the path you currently tread, then change your thoughts, change your words, and change your actions so that you reach a good and positive end. It is not difficult to study the lives of others who have succeeded as they travel through life, doing so should create a new mindset in us, that will draw us away from failure and corruption.

               If you are struggling to find a good end or path for yourself, seek help from those older and wiser than you. Another good step to take is to identify and articulate how you want to enjoy the final years of your life. When this is in place, make changes to your current path so that you can achieve this end. All of our thoughts, our words, and our actions are under our control, but sometimes circumstances take place of which we cannot change. Do what you can to make yourself good, right, and true, don’t simply be a victim of your circumstances.