In 2022, when I was visiting Mount Athos, I had a beautiful conversation with one of the monks who had lived there for over 30 years.
In all these thirty years, he never got off the mountain, so you can imagine that his view on life, humanity, the purpose of life, and God differed slightly from owers.
Have you ever got lost in a discussion with someone? Yeah, this was that kind of discussion. I have no idea how long I talked to this beautiful human being. He captured all my attention.
One of the things he said that stuck with me was that God never permits human beings to kill or conquer all of their demons so that they never get to think too much of themselves. He told me that even the biggest saints went to the grave with at least one of their demons unconquered so that we as humans may understand that we get to Heaven only by the grace of God.
Sometimes you hear something that you know will help you along the way, somewhere, and months, or maybe even years after you hear it, and it connects with something else you pick up elsewhere and paints a beautiful picture that opens up your mind and heart.
I was reading 2 Corinthians 12, written by the apostle Paul the other day. Apostle Paul was a Christian persecutor and killer until Jesus cured him of his hate and made him become the Paul we now know and love.
In 2 Corinthians 12, verses 6 to 10, Paul writes, “Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth.
But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations.
Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
What I want you to take out of this is that perfection exists, but it is well hidden in imperfection.
If you feel sad, be sad. If you feel tired, be tired and ask for time for yourself. If you feel happy, be happy without apologizing to those around you that are not.
Life is part positive and part negative, and you don’t have to be a clown to cheer up someone else or to turn off your light so that someone else does not feel inferior around you.
Pray to God, mind your own business, and always remember to help those who want to help themselves and leave parasites to feed off each other.
Praise the Lord, and for His glory, walk the earth, and you shall be filled, thru the grace of God, with His power. And with that power, you will be able to move mountains in His name and for His glory. What a beautiful circle. Can you see it?
And all this, my friend, is the biggest flex in the world!
Let’s make God viral!
Why not? We sure made the devil viral for long enough.
With love, yours truly, Cristian.