Peace (Inner/Internal/Within)
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
“The thoughts which originate from God bring internal peace and joy to the person. On the contrary, the thoughts which originate from the devil are filled with agitation, disturbance and grief….Our thoughts determine our whole life. If our thoughts are destructive, we will have no peace. If they are quiet, meek and simple, our life will be the same, and we will have peace within us. It will radiate from us and influence all beings around us—rational beings, animals, and even plants. Such is our ‘thought apparatus,’ which emits thoughts with which we influence all other beings. And everyone expects peace, consolation, love, and respect from us.” (Abba Barsanouphios, Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)
“…“Peace” should be at the heart of our thinking, guiding anything we are doing. No matter the activity, we should have peace in our heart and mind. Peace should be part of the method as well as the desired outcome of the activity in which we are engaged. The activity should be giving us peace as well as being the goal or end result of whatever we do: our inner peace, peace with those around us, the peace of the world.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“Without complete forgiveness, without the eradication of resentment, inner peace is impossible! For malice produces in the mind a storm of thoughts against one’s neighbor—a storm of passions that overturns everything within us, tears out by the roots all that is good, and destroys almost to the foundation all the shoots of the virtues. We ourselves are not glad of this unfortunate storm that arises from offense at our neighbor. And if such a storm arises, can we then perform any pious labors? The labor of fasting, or the labor of prayer, or helping our neighbors, or magnanimity and humility? No. Then no labor is possible, because the storm of malice in our heart will cast out all our good intentions, and no good will be subject to us. Such is the law of sin, and especially the sin of resentment and irritation.” (Metropolitan John Snychev)
“The secular world tells us that by voting, by politics, by engineering and technology, by science, by violence and war, the future will be saved. I believe this to be a lie. I believe it to be a very seductive lie – one that seems obvious to many – such that questioning it makes many people think that I must be making some mistake. There is no mistake. My mistake has, from time to time, been not to keep St. Seraphim’s words firmly in my mind and heart. You cannot be too kind, too gentle. Acquire the Spirit of Peace. Strive to reach inner peace. God, raise us above the deadly arrows of slander, insult, and outrage.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“If you have reproached, condemned, or grieved your brother, you have lost your peace. If you have become vainglorious or exalted yourself over your brother, you have lost grace. If a lustful thought has come and you have not immediately driven it away, your soul will lose the love of God and boldness in prayer. If you love power and money, you will never know the love of God. If you have fulfilled your own will, you have been defeated by the enemy and despondency will enter your soul. If you have hated your brother, then you have fallen away from God and an evil spirit has taken possession of you. We suffer because we do not have humility. In a humble soul the Holy Spirit dwells. And He gives the soul freedom, peace, love, and blessedness. We must compel ourselves to good every day and with all our strength strive to learn the humility of Christ.” (St. Silouan of Mount Athos)
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