Spiritual Insight #7 — St. Paisios of Mt. Athos (23 Insights in 23 Days)
IF we work to correct ourselves and look more intently towards our inner activity rather than our external, giving precedence to divine help, we can in turn be of greater and more positive help to others. We will also achieve an inner serenity that will quietly help the souls of the people we encounter, because spiritual serenity reflects the virtue of the soul and transforms the soul. When someone applies himself to external activity before having polished his spiritual inner state, he may struggle spiritually, but he will be fraught with worry, anxiety, lack of confidence in God and frequent loss of serenity. If he does not improve himself, he cannot say that his interest for the common good is pure. When he is liberated from the old self and all things worldly, then he will receive divine Grace and be not only at peace with himself, but also be able to bring peace to everyone else. But if he has not received the grace of God, then he can neither govern himself nor help others in order to bring about a divine effect. He must first be immersed in divine Grace and then utilize his resulting sanctified powers for the salvation of others.
~Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
We must first be filled with the Grace of God in order to have “sanctifying powers” to help ourselves and others. In essence, we cannot work without God — His wisdom, His energy, and His will. Once we start acting according to our world, we give into the external, into the material, and try to make something of it. In the material world, we try to create fruit, but end up sowing weeds that may destroy our serenity, which may compromise our peace. We begin to feel anxious and worrisome, as if we are on sailboat tossed by the wind and waves.
Therefore, our focus must be on our internal lives, to gain access to the “divine help” from the “divine Grace” to supply us all strength, guidance, and peace to produce “good fruit” and overcome all obstacles and struggles. What we need to do is transform… Transform ourselves to the likeness of God.
Transformation may not just be a life event, but a daily achievement, for each new day brings its own stories and its own troubles (Matthew 6:34).
A point that Paisios makes here is that our internal benefit can benefit others. If we are at peace by the Grace of God, then others can be too.
It is as if we have a vase of oil, for it overflows, it can flow into another vase, and yet another. In other words, that is to have the external world change by the internal world.
That is why it always important to start with yourself, to achieve a state of Theosis, to become united with God, and become like God, as He made us in His image (Genesis 1:26–27; Genesis 5:1–2).
Join me in prayer…
Lord, restore me to Your image. Make me whole again. In Your great mercy, God, please grant me Your grace. I need your divine help, Your assistance, grow close to You and become like You. Help me to be whole, in Your spirit. Help me to find that perfect union with You. Fill me with the cup of Your grace and Your spirit, so that I may find peace, and serenity, so that I can pour this cup into the cup of others, for the salvation of mankind. I love you, Jesus. Amen.
