709 (ATTENTION/ SOBRIETY/ STRUGGLE) “Turn not to the right nor to the left,” writes the righteous Solomon in his proverbs (4:27).
Beware of deviations… Beware of “small” retreats… For, these will lead you to greater ones and you will regret it.
“The ‘small’ is not small when it brings forth ‘great’ “. (SELF-CRITICISM/ HESYCHASM/ ACCOUNT OF THE DAY) Do you leave some time for yourself and God? (especially during night time?)
Practice will show you the benefit that comes from it… (STRUGGLE/ DEVIL/ NEGATIVITY/ POSITIVITY) Situation A:
Our enemy the devil employs a tactic into whose trap most people fall, not realizing the damage… More specifically: He constantly brings to our minds our falls, our mistakes and spins us around them…
Why? Because he knows very well that such an attitude cuts the nerve of our soul and our fighting spirit. Situation B:
I am not saying that we should not be aware of our sins and mistakes.
The realisation of them is like an alarm clock ringing.
But do not let it keep ringing… Get up immediately and continue your struggle, with joy and zeal! In other words: Do not move about, as I said above, around the axis of your falls and mistakes, like the crazy wheel(!), but concentrate on your repentance, on your getting up, on your good present condition (after rising from your fall) and on your good and beautiful course… Practice, whether following the A’ Situation (negative) or the B’ Situation (positive), will convince you of the truth of my words!