“The Lord anoints each of us as ruler over the unruly kingdom within our hearts and souls…Each of us must likewise “renounce all things, despise all things, deride all things and shake off things” within our hearts that refuse to submit to Christ and His will.” (Dynamis 12/11/2019, Saint John Climacus)
“No one on earth can give us unshakable inner peace. Money cannot give us peace, neither can fame, honor, a high-ranking position, nor even our closest friends and family. The only Giver of peace and life is the Lord…The divine will is preferable to every other good. Shake off, then, all self-interest, and live by faith and abandonment.” (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, François Fénelon and Jeanne Guyon)
“How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside of themselves, in foreign lands and journeys, in riches and glory, in great possessions and pleasures, in diversions and vain things, which have a bitter end! It is the same thing to construct the tower of happiness outside of ourselves as it is to build a house in a place that is consistently shaken by earthquakes. Happiness is found within ourselves, and blessed is the man who has understood this. Happiness is a pure heart, for such a heart becomes the throne of God." (St. Nectarius of Aegina)
“Speaking from experience, digging oneself out of a rut of despondency where anger, fear, and discontentment also abide, like loud and slovenly roommates all up in your personal space and business, is impossible using mental gymnastics. There is no reasoning your way out of enslavement to negativity and despair. In my own case, I equated freedom from my emotional and spiritual illnesses with “answers” and the changed behavior of others. If I could make sense of my present trials, and if people would stop disappointing and misunderstanding me, and if God would remove from me the thorn in my flesh revealing to myself and to others my own weaknesses and depravity, then I could once again experience joy. If I could cure myself of my own brokenness, then I would start praying again and turning to God for comfort … but not now, not while I’m neck deep in vices I cannot shake, and battling resentment I can’t overcome; it’s too shameful. I’m too lost, too unworthy. In this dejected, prayer-less state, I am cut off from healing, for myself and from being a source of healing for my neighbor. The mysterious thing about trials and sufferings is that they can be incredibly effective at knocking down barriers to profound inner growth and transformation.” (Molly Sabourin)
“Every Christian undergoes a lifelong series of surrenders which wean us away from the material-centered life into which we were born and reshape us into persons wholly submitted to Christ our God. Surrender to Him is a commitment that supersedes all other loyalties. This way of life forms an unshakable bond between ourselves and Christ as Master.” (Dynamis 5/6/2014)