By the grace of God, I bring this witness before you. To me is due no glory for the writing of this essay. If there is any light in it, I am unworthy of praise. I’ve even used AI to assist with editing, and much of my inspiration comes from the Holy Fathers and from the Word of God—revealed in Scripture to all, or to me in prayer, for which I can take no credit. I stand in the way of Christ’s message to you, and for this I ask forgiveness. Yet Christ lives in me, and by my imperfect cooperation—by the destruction of my self before God—the faintest whisper of His voice has been heard. In this essay, I attempt to share it. If there is Love and Truth here, give all glory to God, not to me.
I offer this to those, who like me, are lukewarm in their faith—with patient urgency and holy sorrow, but great joy as I witness God’s love unfold.
(This reflection arose in prayer when I asked, “What is the purpose of life?” I do not claim it as divine revelation, but only as my personal testimony. Take whatever is true and good as from God, and discard the rest as my weakness.)
Please, picture yourself as a child before God as you read through this section, newly brought into this world.
From the moment we are born, we become spiritual athletes in the gymnasium of Love. God invites us: “You have entered the gymnasium of Love. Here you will find many blessings. The blessings of scarcity you will call Bad—poverty, loss, hunger, suffering. The blessings of abundance you will call Good—comfort, health, plenty. But all are blessings of Love, for love, and for your sake.”
He continues: “I have placed the Holy Spirit within you, who loves me as I love Him. Through my Son He has been revealed to you. If you follow His lead, you will be fulfilled by the love that you witness in your heart. Make way for His love for Me, and I will give you my kingdom.”
And He warns: “This world is wrought with evil, but again, for your benefit. In the fight against Evil, the Love in you will grow stronger, and it will be the most beautiful witness. These are the ways of the enemy. He will invert everything. He will make you forget the source of all good things, and you will credit yourself. He will turn you to worldly things—health, entertainment, wealth—for fulfillment—and you will forget Me. He will take my beautiful women and make them subjects of Lust. He will take my men and make them subjects of war. He will turn my blessings of scarcity into burdens, and my blessings of abundance into temptations. He will cause you to curse me. He will make you a sinner in all things. He will convince you of your own truths and a subjective reality. He will turn man against man, instead of man against evil. But I will forgive you, for I know how difficult it is. I humbled myself, came to you as a man, and endured temptation. For this reason, I gave you the Cross and freed you from death with the promise of the New Earth.”
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18).
“Take all that is not my Spirit in you and nail it to the Cross. Keep your heart with me. As you die to the world, I will lift you up. When I send gifts, see them as Simon, who helped carry my Cross.”
“By the way of the Cross you are freed. Now walk it, and choose Love. If you do this, you will enter the Kingdom of God.”
The Call
If you’ve been given difficulties, rejoice! Don’t you know how easy it is to prove your love to God through suffering? Carry it with a little joy. If you have none, ask God for it. Do not forget that even the “Bad” in your life is a blessing.
And when you receive the “Good,” say: “I am not worthy.” For we are not. Say to God: “How could you give us, who were placed here to prove our love, so many gifts along the way? If I accept these gifts, the weight will be lifted and my love will be weak. But if I renounce them, my love will be strong.”
Be like the athlete who enters the weight room for physical strength—receive the weight and suffering with joy. As spiritual athletes, let it be for the strengthening of your soul. And know this: it is not your strength you put on, but your weakness you put off. To God be the glory, who is all of our strength and love.
Because you are weak, you will inevitably accept God’s gifts. Do not despair. How rude to despair in a world full of gifts! Instead, be humbled. Let gratitude magnify your weakness. You are unworthy, and yet He gives. Boldly ask for tears, and they will come to cleanse you when you accept His gifts.
If you’ve been given an easy life, remember: it is easier than you think. Again say, “Lord, how can I prove my love when you’ve given me so much?” Then take your riches—which are not yours at all—and let them pass through you. Say: “Here—take this as an offering to and from God, and pray for me, as a testimony of my love before Him, because my gratitude is not enough.”
Be skeptical of your motives. Test whether your love is true or whether it hides pride. Do things in secret, in silence, before you share them. Always glorify God, never yourself.
As for those born far from God, mourn them. Do not judge, not even when they do wrong. Many enter a world of evil without the weapons of Love to defend themselves. The rich often crumble under their own weight, smiling as they drift further from God. This too is the work of the enemy, draping pleasure and pride over a slow death.
God’s love is at work in all of us. We are all trying, and we are all failing. Do not nail each other to the cross with selfish judgements and hatred. Rather, lift each other up with love, and God will be magnified in you and the world around.
Pray for everyone. Everyone suffers. Weep for them. Love them. When they enjoy something, rejoice for them. At least their burden is temporarily lifted. For only in love do we fight evil, and save both ourselves and one another.
Why Orthodoxy is the Only Answer
I do not offer this for the sake of correctness, I have no reason to “be right” against another—I offer this with no personal gain for the sake of all who read it. I will earn no money from this. I’ve given up the largest sources of my income. I care only about the age to come. I do not claim this as my work. I’ve used AI and the works of the Holy Fathe…
The Warning
Daily, in fear of Hell, place yourself before the Judge’s seat and say: “I am sorry, I repent.” Ask Him for true repentance, a change of heart. In this age of mercy, ask boldly for mercy, and pray unceasingly: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and on us all.”
To the lukewarm, God will say: “I gave your hardened hearts so many signs and gifts. How could you not burn with love for me in return? When people warned you, your hardened heart would not listen.” And you will say: “But Lord, how could I have known? And I did believe.” And He will say: “Then why did you not follow me? I constantly gave you love and you always turned away.”
The truly worthy will say: “God, I am not worthy of your Kingdom, I never have been, but I have given you my mind, body, and soul. In your mercy, I trust you will let me in.”
The Truth
Seek the Truth. Many planets orbit the sun, and all share its light. But only one sustains life. So it is with religion. Many reflect some of God’s light, but only one gives the fullness. The answer is Christ. Not all other ways are evil, but they are not whole. Anything not right is wrong. Seek the fullness of truth in His Church.
Search the Fathers. Read the Scriptures. Test everything. Be skeptical until the Truth reveals itself. Some paths will bring you near, but if you desire the fullness of God’s love, seek the Orthodox faith.
Repent now. Give every breath to God. Witnessing His love within you is enough for fulfillment.
May His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. To Christ belongs all glory, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Resources
Practice
Go to Church every Sunday
Pray every morning and evening, at least
Get yourself an Orthodox Prayer book
Pray the Jesus Prayer as often as possible throughout the day
Fast Wednesday’s and Friday’s at a minimum, to your ability
Follow the Church Schedule
Familiarize yourself with the Canons of the Church
Read Scripture daily
Set up a prayer corner with icons and stand before God every day
Give to the poor as often as you can
Seek out Prayer & Practice Rules from the Early Church Fathers and the Saints
Serve yourself less
Go some days without feeding from your own hand.
Remove comforts from your life, to your ability
Pride is a hidden self-service. Give all glory to God and not to yourself
Serve others more
Walk with God in broken places seeking His love and beauty
Pray for those in your life, and for those difficult to pray for to strengthen your love
Practice death every time you lay down to sleep
Become comfortable with your suffering, imagining, even welcoming, worse suffering
Fight your judgements of others
Help other people carry their cross
Give all of your Love to God, and know that giving your love to God means giving your love to every person and thing, by finding the goodness within it.