Blessed Seraphim told those followers who strove to take excessive feats upon themselves that not complaining and humbly bearing insults are our "verigi" and our hair shirt. (The word verigi in Russian means iron chains and various weights. A hair shirt is clothing made of thick, very coarse wool; some ascetics wore these things to burden their body.)
It is not necessary to undertake feats beyond one’s strength. Instead, one must try to keep our friend — our body — right and capable of performing virtues. One must follow the middle route, turning neither to the right hand nor the left (Proverbs 4:27), giving the spirit the spiritual, and the body the physical things necessary for maintaining temporal life. One should also not refuse that which society legally demands, according to the words of the Gospel: "Render therefore to Caesar those things which are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s" (Matthew 22:21).
One should condescend to one’s soul in its infirmities and imperfections, endure one’s deficiencies as we bear the failings of others, not become lazy, and continually urge oneself to be better.
If you have eaten too much food or done anything else related to human weakness, do not be upset. Do not add injury to injury, but, urging yourself to correction, courageously try to keep spiritual peace according to the words of the Apostle: "Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows" (Romans 14:22). This same meaning is contained in the words of the Saviour: "Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
Any success in any area we must assign to the Lord and say with the prophet: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory" (Psalm 115:1).
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Issues Facing Christians Today - Government
Bible Reading - Psalms 41 to 45
Bible Reading - Psalms 1 to 5
Bible Reading - Psalm 117
Christian Response to Mormonism 4
Bible Reading - Psalm 141
Christian Response to Mormonism 3
Bible Reading - Psalm 139
Christian Response to Mormonism 2
Bible Reading - Psalm 36
Christian Response to Mormonism 1
Issues Facing Christians Today - Worship
Bible Reading - Psalm 65
No Longer A Baby - 8. Jesus’ Relationship With The Christian
No Longer A Baby - 7. How To Be Assured You Are A Christian
No Longer A Baby - 6. Becoming a Christian
No Longer A Baby - 5. Was Jesus Christ Simply Just A Good Moral Teacher?
No Longer A Baby - 4. Why did God become a human?
No Longer A Baby - 3. Fully Human
No Longer A Baby - 2. Fully God
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