Lord, when will you help me. God help me, with your generous hand bestow patience, joy and peace. I am a great sinner on this earthly path. Lord have mercy, Lord forgive
In the morning when I leave for work,they are still sleeping. Who saw the sleeping
children, he will understand my feelings. Thisangels, and a home where children are is heaven:
It's warm and nice there.My wife and I have three daughters. Eachmorning I thank the Lord for this
happiness. Indeed, Hisgenerosity knows no bounds, he gave
I have a wonderful wife andbeautiful children, I'm happy in
We learn that we do not control the wind, but the wind controls us. This is how God uses us to make Christ smaller and larger. We learn from experience, “Without Him we can do nothing.” “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, let him take up his cross every day and follow Me.”
The Cross explains why things always seem more difficult to us as we move along the Narrow Path. Given that we are not living in sin and that our heart is right with God, when we no longer “feel” things the way we used to, does that mean something is wrong? Many Christians will say yes, something must go wrong. Should we ask the Lord to restore our good feeling? I repeat, many Christians who believe that the Christian life should be a continuous sequence of positive experiences will say yes.
In marriage, in my opinion, this is the main thing. Ifyou're unhappy in your marriage, then neither career nor
financial success is notwill replace your boss.Nothing can replace
that feeling that youyou worry whenyou come home from work and
there is a cry of "daddy"came! And they run to youyour girls are hanging on
To teach us, the Lord often allows us to have spiritual experiences at the beginning of our journey, and in these moments we can hear His voice directly telling us what to do and where we should go, certainly indispensable for children who have no other way understand differently. But over time, these experiences become less and less common.
This does not mean that a Christian should be completely devoid of feelings, but it does mean that a disciple of the Lord is not guided by feelings. This practical use Cross: only prisoners carry the Cross - “free” men do not wear it, and those who love themselves will never take it.
you, kiss you.Yes, I'm happily marriedI have good family, But
it's not my merit, it'scredit to the Lord and minewives. It wasn't always so good and
the reason for this is in me. I myselfwith my own hands I wanted to break what was given to me in
gift. We met Lena whenwe were sixteen two met
First of all, it means giving up our freedom. This means that we are no longer free to dress and go where we want, others can do as they please, but the Lord's prisoners cannot do whatever they like. Others can move forward no matter what happens, but we, everything is ours. time and our movements are in His hands. Second, being a prisoner of the Lord means that we must accept long periods loneliness. We are grateful for opportunities for fellowship and friendship, but as a prisoner of the Lord, we are often asked to be alone and shut up with God.
years, then I leftto Army. Helen was waiting for me. Twothe years passed quickly when I
came from the army, Lena and I began to live onrented apartment separate from
parents, the relationship was not formalized.I continued to serve as water
from special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and studiedin absentia in law school. Lena by
All our relationships must be marked with a cross. In other words, we give our friendships and our families to God and receive them in exchange for Him. Thus the Lord maintains supremacy. Third, being a prisoner of the Lord means that we accept the death sentence and accept our fate. We are not prisoners of God if we continue to proclaim our innocence. If we do not approve of God's judgment that the ego deserves only death, then we are unduly delaying the inevitable. If we are to bear our Cross and be crucified, it is better to submit to it, as Christ did, placing our spirit in the hands of the Lord and lowering our heads to rest.
trained as a fashion designer, worked in studio. In 1995, the war began in the Caucasus,
I started going on business trips, sixmonths on a business trip, six
months on the glass, interspersed withpassing the sessions. And Lena was still waiting. IN
1996 Our daughter Elizaveta was born.I continued to work as before
regime, Lena never reproachedme neither for an unsettled life, nor for
If we fight and protest like two thieves, it will only prolong our agony and the soldiers will have to come and break our legs, and in any case the Cross means death. we submit, the sooner we find the Resurrection. It is a glorious thing to be a prisoner of the Lord, because in our bonds we find freedom. In our weakness we find strength. In our poverty we find prosperity. Having lost everything, we find everything. Having given up everything, we inherit everything. In accepting the sentence of death, we find the Life of the Lord.
Let's stretch out our hands and let Him clothe us and lead us to where He wants us to go in a way that we don't choose ourselves because it's the Narrow Path and it's the way of the good even though it's in disguise. May the Lord confirm these words in our hearts. Make the Lord your delights, and He will give you what your heart desires.
small salary. There were reproachesbut others, quite fair: what
I don't pay attention to my daughter and her,what do I drink after business trips?
for months, and then I leave again. OnI answered that this is how I “blow off steam”
and in general “a soldier must rest.”The second campaign began in 1999
in the Caucasus, I had to go. To meI receive an offer from my
What is the connection between what my heart desires and the pleasures of the Lord? Be careful to read the banana skin of this verse! Joy, isn't this a chocolate dessert? Come on, do it, you'll see, it makes you dizzy. “Are you making the Lord with your charms?” We cannot make the Lord rejoice if we do not know him, and if we take him for a father or a half-grandfather! To make the Lord rejoice in you, you will have to pray to him, with respect and confidence, pour out your heart before yourself, be faithful to him, realize your power and strength, surprise you with the miracles he has created and what he is doing in your life.
comrade to participate in hisbusiness. Having discussed this with Elena,we come to a decision,
what do you need leave the service and agree.Lenka was in seventh heaven
happiness that I don't need anymorego to war what
my rehabilitation drinking sessions,
financial situation will improvefamilies. That's how it was at first.
It's about letting him direct your life with the confidence that he wants what's best for you. In order for the Lord to become your pleasure, to love what the Lord asks, his Word, the rules of the game in life that he corrected, because you understand his meaning. And you believe that God doesn't know what your heart desires? Now, the great question is: can we be Christian and ambitious? A Christian must have ambition, but never at the expense of others. Didn't Jesus have the desire to succeed in his mission of salvation, and did God not have the desire to create a magnificent world for mankind?
In a year I earned enough money for an apartment,bought a car. But something else happened.
I couldn't stand the testmoney, the family also remained
abandoned, I was either working orwalked, and I thought that if I
I provide for my family financially, thenwhat else do they need? What could be
discontent? I could do it for three daysdon't come home without explaining
We must have ambition because it is God who gives us our true value: love and love for God, and this should motivate us. We're not the best either! There is no price and it is worth every professional career in the world! There is no good or bad job, there is a life to be filled! Fill it up as best you can with your constructive things, valuable people, rewarding experiences and remember that you need to put in the effort because nothing is baked from heaven!
We often ask ourselves these questions when we go through trials: Why me? Why does the Lord allow me to suffer? Suffering is a tool God uses to get our attention and achieve His purposes in our lives. Suffering obliges us to turn away from the certainty we have in our own way and to live by faith in God's means. Suffering is not a virtuous act or a sign of holiness. It is not a means of obtaining the favor of the Lord or presenting his pulpit as asceticism. Whenever possible, suffering should be avoided.
reasons, to all my wife’s objections Ianswered: whoever doesn’t like it can
leave. He spoke like this, knowing that he had to goshe has nowhere to go. Scoundrel…
So another three years passed, and LenkaI was still waiting. Then I became
think about how I shouldfinally leave the family. Is not
difficult, I thought: we are not scheduled,I'll leave the apartment to her, my daughter
“On the day of happiness, be happy, and on the day of misfortune, think: God made one thing like another, so that man could not detect anything that comes after him.” Next questions can help us think about when we will experience unhappiness. What is my reaction to this event?
What should my reaction be? In the way I respond to a test, are my Christian values demonstrated? What are the uses of life course deviations and why should they be taken into account? In short, suffering is anything that hurts or irritates us. In God's plan, suffering serves to make us think. It is a tool that God uses to get our attention and accomplish His purposes that would not be possible without judgment or irritation.
I’ll sponsor you and I’ll take a walk myselfalso - after all, I’m only 30 years old, but
the family is just a burden.So I left the family. Lenacried. Nothing, I thought
will get used to it he will find someone for himself and calm down.Five months have passed
after I left, and soone summer evening,returning from another
It could be any form of suffering, a trial as minimal and annoying as a mosquito bite before a great trial, like the lion that Daniel had to face in the lion's den. Of course, these cases do not all apply at the same time. Suffering is not always the result of our own stupidity, self-harm or sin. However, suffering always always shows need, weakness or bad attitude, which must be eliminated as contamination during the gold grinding process.
This is your joy, although now, because it is necessary, you must be saddened for a short time by various trials, so that the judgment of your faith, which is worth more than perishable gold, praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ appears.
parties, I went to suburbs on the side of the roadroads in a deserted
place. I heard howapproaching on the roadcar, but didn't
turn around, feltonly very strongblow piercing
pain - that's all, the light went out,consciousness turned off. Nothing wrong with me there was no such thing as
No matter what we know or how well we apply the principles, suffering will hurt. We may know some theological reasons from the Word, but there is still some mystery when it happens to us. We ask ourselves: why now? Suffering is meant to increase our confidence in the Almighty.
His the main objective- conform to the image of Christ. Moreover, we know that all things are consistent with the good of those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom he knew beforehand, he also predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers.
I read, happens to people who have experiencedclinical death. I didn't fly
tunnel, did not see the divinelight, the devils didn’t grab me, but it was
that's what. Difficult to explain and describein words what is in ordinary
there is no reality... I found myselfas if at the junction of two worlds or
lives, I stood and saw what Ilived But I didn’t see it like in the movies,
This refers to the examination confirming or approving. Suffering proves our character, our integrity, and the object and quality of our faith. The results God desires to see in our lives through our trials require time and therefore endurance.
Moreover, we are proud even through tribulation, knowing that tribulation gives rise to perseverance, persistent victory in court and this hope of victory. Knowing that the judgment of your faith produces patience, but patience must do its job perfectly so that you will be perfect and complete without any problems.
and as if all of mine at oncelife. I saw myself as a child when
drowned in a pond in the village - saved meolder neighbor guy; And
at the same time I saw myself as an adult- how they carried me out of the mountains wounded;
I saw all the meanness that Idone - down to the smallestdetails... How could
I to do so much mischief?And I also felt, no, I didn’t see,but only felt Him. What
This is the reason why it is called a "test". Even if we understand its purpose and principles and take comfort in God's promises and His attention in His Word, it is never easy to face the trials of life because we suffer. Persistence enables us to cooperate while the work is being done within us. It allows us to experience joy and peace through a trial.
To face suffering with peace and serenity, we must focus on God's reasons for our suffering. This requires that we believe in the eternal truths of the Lord. Compare the blessings of tribulation as seen in the psalmist's testimony in Psalm 119.
here he is close by and I don’t need anythingthere's no point in explainingmake excuses, everything
clear as day. I felt it in my brain, in my bones,the skin that gave me the jewel,
which has no price, but I didn’t save it,Moreover, I ruined it, broke it. I
felt all the insignificancemy miserable life. And I realized: it’s Himthen he pulled me out
We must understand that God's main purpose for our lives is for us to be conformed to the image of Christ, and He has made it his plan to use suffering for us to grow spiritually. If we have to endure the sufferings and trials of life, we must also understand the other causes of suffering, since they also relate to the main goal.
When we believers endure healthy image life and experience a certain joy, it becomes a wonderful testimony of the power and life of Christ that we have appropriated. Suffering is an opportunity for God to display and magnify His power through His servants to test and confirm the messenger and His message. This provides an opportunity for believers to demonstrate their qualities as ambassadors of Christ and therefore.
from the pond, it's Him pulled me out of the mountains, He gave it to mewife, He gave me a daughter.
I woke up in intensive care afterfive days after the road tripthe incident turned out to be
What the car that hit me drove away.The place was deserted, people
those driving in the car pulled me awayaway from the road and thrown intobushes where I found it
I'm a woman walking the dog this morning.The condition was serious,
blood loss, multiplefractures, good thing there was a head
whole. I lay there for three monthshospital. There was timeenough to
comprehend and draw the appropriate conclusions:stood so vividly in my memory
pictures of what he saw.I was baptized when I was still a teenager,but that's all my religious
life ended. And when I lostpectoral cross during exercises, then with this
loss lost the last connection withOrthodoxy. In the hospital
asked me to bring me the New Testament,I read it like for the first time, I read it again re-read -
so shockedme simple like the truth, becauseI read it before and didn’t see it... How
the scales fell from my eyes, as if gray, likerain, the curtain was pulled back, and behind it all opened
world. They started coming to visitI'm Lena and my daughter. The wife doesn't do anything she said
just bring somethingEither way, he’ll sit and leave. And me andThere is nothing to say to them: I betrayed them.
As soon as I got to my feet I went to the temple,it's next to the hospital. Wasn't intemple since
baptized. Met with Father SuperiorAlexey, we talked for a long time, he told me
said: “But your wife and daughterthere are people like you here every day
What do you think they are asking of the Lord?”I confessed for the first time in own life,
the weight fell from my shoulders,a week later I took communion, went totemple every day until
discharged. I took it back in the hospitaldecision to ask my forgiveness wife, ask
become my wifeofficially and if he agrees, then get married Discharged from
Hospitals, called Elena and asked for a meeting.When I went to them, I was very worried,
will he accept me or not, will he agree orno, I walked and prayed: “Help me,
Lord, one more time."We talked for a long time, LenaI agreed, it’s about people like her,
it is written: Love is patient,is merciful, love does not envy,
love is not exalted, notis proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek
his own, does not get irritated, does not thinkevil, does not rejoice in untruth, but
rejoices in the truth; covers everythingbelieves everything, hopes everything, everything
transfers. Love neverceases, although the prophecies
will cease, and tongues will be silent, andknowledge will be abolished. (1 Cor. 13:4-9)
We got married from that dayseven years have passed. We were born
two more daughters - Maria and Alexandra.I love my family very much
on Sundays we are all together togetherlet's go to the Church of Peter and Paul,
where my second life began,in which the sacrament took place
our wedding, in which we were baptizedmy children, whose rector became
a great friend of our family.Here's how it turns out: everything seems to be
given to man for happiness, but he seekssomething on the side, not seeing underneath
riches with their noses, women do notseeing that the one that is the best and nearby
with him, not seeing the faith that existsthe truth and what is close - right in the temple
under the windows. This happened to me.And the One whom I asked to help me
the last time I went to Lena withmarriage proposal
It still helps us today.
Glory to you, Lord!
Archpriest Sergius Guselnikov, keymaster of the Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Samara, answers readers’ questions.
Good afternoon. I don't know how to correctly describe mine state of mind- but it seems to me that nothing will help me. I confess very rarely, after last time I had the feeling that it was too late to fix anything in my life. That is, there is no hope for churching and salvation. The sins are too great. I have a little daughter, 5 years old, and a retired mother. I am 33 years old. I feel like I'm not living like this. I mostly home person, but every day it seems to me that I lived it in vain - even if I didn’t do anything wrong. And when I go to church, I feel that it is too late to hope for salvation and that I will be responsible for everything after death. Tell me what to do - I'm scared…
Olga.
Dear Olga!
Let's start with the fact that you are absolutely right to feel that you are not living like this. As Tertullian said, the human soul is Christian by nature, and it strives for eternity and salvation. Therefore, earthly and material things sooner or later cease to satisfy her. The soul needs something else - spiritual life, the main foundations of which are repentance before God and gratitude for His benefits. Most often we ask God for something, but we forget to thank him. Well, we rarely experience true repentance. Man usually remembers his Creator only in difficult moments, the rest of the time he thinks about himself. And this, of course, is wrong. The Lord tells us: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is, in any matter we must ask for God’s help. And he also says: “What is impossible for man is possible for God.” And when we, humbling our pride, ask: “Lord, let Your will be done in everything, as You want, but not as I want!”, then the Lord arranges everything for the better, for salvation. “I do not desire the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live,” He continually repeats to us. You just need to turn to Him. And the Lord will definitely help. But for this it is necessary to follow the narrow path leading to eternal life. According to the poet, “the soul must work day and night, day and night...”, and not from case to case. You write that you rarely confess. This is the same as washing rarely, washing away bodily dirt. Imagine that you haven't washed whole year. Will it then be easy for you to wash yourself off the dirt that has been ingrained into your body for many months? But spiritual dirt is much more difficult to wash off. It is customary to wash your face every day and bathe at least once a week. Likewise, we confess everyday sins to God every day at the end of our evening prayers: “I confess to You, my Lord God and Creator, in Holy Trinity To the One, glorified and worshiped, Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, all my sins...” And we are completely cleansed of sins in the Sacrament of Confession. Sin is a crime, in this case- a crime of the Law of God, for every crime there is a punishment, whether a person wants it or not. A Christian who realizes this tries to confess (to wash himself from spiritual dirt) as often as possible. Let me remind you that in Orthodox Church It is customary to confess and receive communion at least once a month. During great Lent, pious people confess and receive communion every week. Indicative in this regard is an example from the spiritual practice of the actor and singer Pyotr Mamonov, which I wrote about recently in my note about meeting him in our cathedral. He confessed and took communion in Moscow, but a day later in Samara he came to confess again because new sin gave him no rest. We must clearly understand that sin prevents us from living and leads to dire consequences.
But there's another one important point. We must learn to confess correctly. Not to mechanically list the sins we have committed, but to deeply understand them, mourn in our hearts, repent and, in contrast to them, do good deeds, that is, bear fruits worthy of repentance. It is necessary to carefully prepare for confession. We don’t go into the bathroom and immediately turn on the shower; at a minimum, we first need to prepare soap, shampoo, washcloth, towel, and clean linen. And confession is like a second baptism, a “bath of rebirth.”
You mention, Olga, your great sins. But there are no sins (except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) that the Lord will not forgive. The Venerable Mary of Egypt in her sins reached the abyss of her fall and was not even able to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. And having repented, she became a great saint, crossing the Jordan like dry land. The Hieromartyr Cyprian was a sorcerer, and after repentance he became one of the most revered in Christian Church saints The prudent thief, hanging on the cross next to the Crucified Christ, repented and confessed Him as the Son of God, and immediately entered the Kingdom of Heaven with him. There are many examples. We only need to repent in such a way that the Lord accepts our repentance. You must repent with all your heart, and show determination not to repeat the repented sins...
And the most important thing is to constantly thank God. As Saint John Chrysostom said: “Glory to God for everything - both for sorrow and for joy!” These Great words should be the leitmotif of our sinful life. And if we learn to thank the Creator not only for joys, but also for sorrows and illnesses sent to us to cleanse our souls, the Lord will certainly help us. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief! Try, Olga, to change your life, and then you won’t feel like salvation is impossible.
Unrepentant sin
A couple of years ago, while suffering from unrequited love, I had thoughts of suicide. Now, thank God, there are no such thoughts. But in confession I said that I had bad thoughts. But I didn't mean suicidal thoughts. Is it necessary to separately name this sin?
My family recently came to faith. But dad doesn't want to hear anything about it. He never went to confession. And very often he tells me that faith is of no use to me. I don't even know what to do. Tell. Thank you in advance.
Natalia.
Dear Natalia!
According to the Gospel teaching, any intention to sin, any thought about sin is equated to sin itself: “But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Based on this, thoughts of suicide are a serious sin. Therefore, they need Necessarily confess separately. Bad thoughts- it too general concept, so many different thoughts can be attributed to them... Therefore, they must be named specifically. It is necessary to specifically confess even bad dreams(they can be prodigal, blasphemous, etc.).
Your dad’s words about the uselessness of faith are not his words, but the words of the eternal enemy of the human race, that is, the devil. Man is the image and likeness of God Himself, therefore he cannot live without faith. Without faith, a person is like an animal living by instincts. “Without Orthodoxy, a Russian person is rubbish,” Dostoevsky rightly said. His words are also widely known: “If there is no God, then everything is permitted.” Russia’s retreat from God and from faith, according to the prophecy of the same Fyodor Mikhailovich and the righteous John of Kronstadt, led to destructive revolutions and wars, the death of tens of millions of people, destructive processes in statehood, the economy, social sphere, culture, and the worst thing is in the family and individual. Godlessness and permissiveness have led to the fact that life is now becoming scary. Only faith helped the Russian people survive in difficult times.
The greatest scientists (Newton, Galileo, Mendeleev, Einstein), doctors (Pavlov, Pirogov, Sechenev), generals and naval commanders (Suvorov, Kutuzov, Ushakov, Zhukov) and many others outstanding people could not live without faith. Newton, for example, wrote an interpretation of the Bible. Mendeleev said that God in a dream (!) revealed to him the principle of the periodic table chemical elements, and he just wrote it down. I don't think your dad is wiser than all of them famous people. An entire historical community - the Cossacks - proclaimed their main slogan “A Cossack without faith is not a Cossack.”
Faith gives a person the main thing - the salvation of an immortal soul. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Even more: “These signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18).
Of course, you must love and honor your father, pray for his admonition, so that he too will come to the faith that he now at least verbally denies. Show love and care and learn to forgive the weaknesses and delusions of loved ones. And don't be embarrassed by their erroneous judgments.
