Often, a person stands to pray and his goal in prayer is to receive something…

 

Often, a person stands to pray and his goal in prayer is to receive something…

It might even be a spiritual fruit that they’re trying to receive.

This is already a mistake.

You're toiling not for the purpose of receiving something from God.

Rather, you're toiling because this toil itself - calling upon the name of the Lord, is everything.

It is worth living in this way and you shouldn't desire anything else.

Noetic work entails a lot of hardship and toil, it is extremely difficult.

And, in general, Christian life means leaving your comfort zone.

It is often the case that a person, who hasn’t yet started the Christian life, comes and begins asking certain questions….

And if a person doesn’t live in the Christian way and thinks that he is a Christian, I try to break them out of their comfort zone. 

He comes to the Church to resolve a certain problem.

He thinks that he is a Christian, but he is not yet a Christian.

I think that this (taking the person out of their comfort zone) should be done deliberately. 

I think this is how it should be done because someone who is not a Christian should not be satisfied with his life and should not expect favors from this world.

And when he doesn't have the favors the way he wants to have them, when he has discomfort - he shouldn't be raging and asking “why are things the way they are?”

Things are the way they are because you are not even a Christian yet.

Everything won't be okay, because you're not even a Christian yet and entering into Christianity means leaving the comfort zone.

You are beginning the spiritual life - this means you are going into a battle, you’re going into a war. 

You're not expecting anything, you don't consider yourself worthy, and suddenly the Lord embraces you in His heart - This is from God.

However, when you expect to be embraced and when you expect to receive gifts, this is not Christianity.

Archpriest  Theodore Gignadze ©️