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"I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies." Psalm 119:59 What a blessing this world would be, if only humankind heeded these words of the Psalmist David! "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies." Unfortunately, as experience proves, we think very little regarding our ways; -- and what is worse, we do not make honest efforts, to turn our feet toward God's testimonies. There is no question, but that life without direction is purposeless, and senseless. Man was created with the purpose of heading only toward God's direction. When the first created fell from his lofty state, and his antecedents wondered aimlessly in the labyrinth of spiritual darkness, our merciful and all-loving God, sent His only Begotten Son to redeem, and show humankind the direction toward salvation. However, man still persists in heading toward the opposite direction, from the one which guarantees him happiness and salvation. How often have we heard a bus driver tell a passenger that he, or she had taken the wrong bus, and that they were heading in the wrong direction! This is the analogy of many humans, who so often, try to get to their destination in life, by precisely going in the wrong direction. It happens with humans, and surely it happens with organizations and nations. For instance, let's take world peace. Are the nations heading in the right direction, thinking that they can ensure peace, by building up destructive armaments, with the thought that these will avoid war? Can peace ever be attained going in that direction? Rather, I think, that there is always the danger, that when anyone possesses a weapon, he may at some time seek the opportunity to use it. This reminds me of a little boy, who was given a water pistol, with the definite promise and understanding, that he would not squirt it in the house. But he did. The temptation was too great. Maybe this is a childish analogy, but it is hard to conceive, how nations can find the way to peace, by multiplying the means of unspeakable destruction. Now, regarding the individual. Let us speak on happiness. Is this not the wish and goal of all? To be happy? Unfortunately, all of us do not have the same definition of happiness. So very often, people take the wrong direction, seeking the road to happiness. I think that there never has been an age, which has put so much emphasis, and so much trust in the material things in life. We think, that we will be happy if we receive more pay; if we purchase a new, larger T.V., or purchase a new automobile. We often believe, that a new house, with new furnishings will give us the necessary security and happiness we envision; perhaps, an expensive holiday trip abroad, would give us unbelievable happiness. These, and similar other desires have deceived people, that these of themselves will bring happiness. Yet, people will not learn their lesson; that, it is not in the power of material things to insure happiness, but that the real and true happiness is God-given, and always sources from the innermost depths of one's soul. A couple of generations ago there was a song, which said everything. The title was "The Best Things in Life are Free!" How many people, younger and older, at one time had left their homes, in search of happiness in a far off land, like the prodigal son did, only to return to their home, weary and disillusioned, to suddenly discover, that their home was the real haven of happiness! Happiness is not an external, nor a material acquisition, but a blessing and a fulfillment, which sources and blossoms from within our heart. The real path to happiness, odd as it may sound, primarily is the right relationship with oneself, and subsequently with one's fellow man. This will never materialize, apart and away from the Grace of our Lord, the Giver of all Gifts. We also have another direction, and that is, the road to satisfaction. We are living in an age, when the general opinion seems to be, that the least work a person does, the happier he, or she will be. We want shorter hours; we want to step on the brakes, as it were; to slow down on our work and effort; we want to take thing easily. However, without question, the lesson of life is, that the way to satisfaction comes through hard, conscientious work, and not through dodging work. The discontent, and the unrest, which is almost rampant today, may well be a result of nothing more than boredom, and the loss of self-respect, which are bound to enter into life, when a person is putting in far less, that his or her best into the work that they are assigned to do. The way to satisfaction, is not by easier, but by conscientious and diligent hard work. This whole matter of direction in life, ends up in the very fundamentals of religion. The word "conversion" literally means, a "turning around", an about face. To be converted means, to alter the whole direction of one's life. It means, that if we are going in a direction which is wrong, and then we decide to make a round about turn, we start off anew, in the opposite direction, from which we were going. The wrong direction is, when we are a facing only ourselves; when we are egocentric, and I may say selfish. The proper, and true direction is, when we are facing God, and we spring forth to follow in the path of His Commandments. But, the basic fault is, that for so many of us humans, the biggest thing in life is, the satisfaction of our own selfish desires -- and not the acceptance of the will of God. We must finally come to believe, that only in seeking and doing God's will, can we be sure of finding true, inner peace. So, my beloved, let us deeply ponder on these thoughts, and as the Psalmist states: "Let us think on our ways, and then, turn our feet unto the testimonies of the Lord." +Fr. George Papadeas |
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