Tag Archives: Good and evil

September 7, 2016 · 3:28 pm

Mastering Your Passion

A disciple of Abba Anthony said, ‘If anyone wants to drive out the demons, he must first subdue the passions; for he will banish the demon of the passion which he has mastered. For example, the devil accompanies anger; so if you control your anger, the devil of anger will be banished. And so it is with each of these passions.’

——–Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Self-control and overcoming the negative forces and habits that drive each of us is a worthy goal. The wise old man attributes every problem very directly to a “demon.” We do not share such a view of good and evil. We do, however, need to acknowledge the presence of supernatural evil in our world. That being said, I want to concentrate on the positive advice of the saying.

Passion is the root of both good and evil. Learn to reap your positive passions, and subdue your negative (sins) ones and you will be on your way to a life of the Spirit. We are advised to master the passions that lead us away from God and our neighbor, thus banishing that obstacle of spiritual attainment from our lives. May each of us take this to heart, and make it a matter of fervent prayer.

Prayer

Lord let me take serious the passions that drive me. By your spirit help me to control my negative passions and allow those that are life giving to soar. May I soar in your direction all the days of my life. Give the wisdom to know the difference and the self control to win the day.

Amen

The Problem with Your Passion (clientsfromhell.net)
Passionate Artistry Yields Perpetual Fashion (fashiondivadesign.com)

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Filed under Desert Fathers, Passions, self control

Tagged as Apophthegmata Patrum, Bede, Born again (Christianity), Edmund Burke, Good and evil

March 24, 2014 · 9:58 am

March 24 — Day 17

Genesis 3:1-15

¹Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ²The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; ³but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’“ ⁴But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; ⁵for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

⁶So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. ⁷Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. ⁸They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

⁹But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”¹⁰He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

¹¹He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹²The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” ¹³Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

¹⁴The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.¹⁵I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

‘Take away temptations and no one will be saved.’

——— Abba Evagrius

Prayer Starter — Lord help me to fight the great temptations of my life.

The Fall, The Archetype, The Answer (leadmeintheeverlastingway.com)

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Filed under Len, Lent, Lenten Prayer Guide, Temptation

Tagged as Adam & Eve, Good and evil, Lenten Prayer, Satan, Serpent (Bible), Temptation

August 14, 2013 · 12:56 pm

Evil and Passions

A disciple of Abba Anthony said, ‘If anyone wants to drive out the demons, he must first subdue the passions; for he will banish the demon of the passion which he has mastered. For example, the devil accompanies anger; so if you control your anger, the devil of anger will be banished. And so it is with each of these passions.’

——–Sayings of the Desert Fathers

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Filed under Antony of Egypt, Ascetics, Desert Fathers, Evil, Mystics

Tagged as Abba, Anger, Apophthegmata Patrum, Demon, Evil, God, Good and evil, Religion and Spirituality

November 2, 2012 · 9:34 am

Everybody Wants to Be Somebody

Everybody wants to be somebody. Since the beginning of time people have been trying to become more important. The words used by the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve were “when you eat of [the tree of good and evil], your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Henri Nouwen says that ever since then, we have been tempted to replace love with power. “The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led.”

The real challenge for us is overcoming this attitude. As members of Christ’s community of faith we are called to be the light of the world. It is very difficult to be the light for others when we are centered on ourselves. Pray that God will guide you in a direction of selfless love that will allow you to be the beacon of love that he created you to be.

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Filed under missional, Missional Living, Sin

Tagged as Adam and Eve, Christ, God, Good and evil, Henri Nouwen