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Laziness - in need of guidance.
Greetings to everyone, I have realized a certain issue in my life which is constantly growing. I find i am gradually becoming much lazier, in everything, even prayer, waking up, even studying. Therefore, instead of praying, ill just go to bed, and have a hard time waking up the next day for liturgy.
PLEASE HELP! I hate being lazy! Its a barrier for everything! What should I do?
PLEASE HELP! I hate being lazy! Its a barrier for everything! What should I do?
Comments
Greetings to everyone, I have realized a certain issue in my life which is constantly growing. I find i am gradually becoming much lazier, in everything, even prayer, waking up, even studying. Therefore, instead of praying, ill just go to bed, and have a hard time waking up the next day for liturgy.
PLEASE HELP! I hate being lazy! Its a barrier for everything! What should I do?
I feel you, brother. I go through the exact same thing.
[quote author=Monasticsx link=topic=13711.msg160014#msg160014 date=1347996542]
Greetings to everyone, I have realized a certain issue in my life which is constantly growing. I find i am gradually becoming much lazier, in everything, even prayer, waking up, even studying. Therefore, instead of praying, ill just go to bed, and have a hard time waking up the next day for liturgy.
PLEASE HELP! I hate being lazy! Its a barrier for everything! What should I do?
I feel you, brother. I go through the exact same thing.
same here!
Here is a short excerpt from St. John Climacus' Ladder of Divine Ascent
It was originally intended for monks, but I am pretty sure we can all derive some meaning from it :)
"Tedium is a paralysis of the soul , a slackness of mind, a neglect of spiritual exercises, a hostility to vows taken. It is a voice claiming that God has no mercy and love for them. It is a laziness in the singing of the psalms, a weakness in prayer, an indifference to the requirement of obedience. An obedient person does not know such tedium, for he has used the things of the senses to reach the level of the spirit.
Tedium is rebuffed by community life, but she is a constant companion of the hermit, living with him until the day of his death.
At the 3rd hour, the devil of tedium causes shivering, headache and vertigo. By the 9th hour the patient has regained his strength, and when dinner is ready he jumps out of bed. BUT now when the time of prayer comes, his body begins to languish once more. He begins his prayer, but tedium makes him sleepy and the verses of the psalms are snatched from his mouth by untimely yawns.
THE real men of spirit can be seen at the time when tedium strikes, for nothing gains so many crowns for a monk as the struggle against this. Note how tedium hits you when you are standing, and if you lean back it suggests that it would be a good thing to lean back.
A man who mourns for himself does not suffer from tedium. This tyrant should be overcome by the remembrance of past sins, battered by hard manual labour and brought to book by the thoughts of the blessings to come ....
'I [tedium] cannot lay my head among those who are TRULY obedient... the singing of Psalms and manual labour are my opponents by whom I am now bound. My enemy is the thought of death, but what really slays me is PRAYER backed by a firm hope in the blessings of the future.'
This is the 13th victory. He who has won it is really outstanding in ALL virtue."
[emphasis mine]
Here is a short excerpt from St. John Climacus' Ladder of Divine Ascent
It was originally intended for monks, but I am pretty sure we can all derive some meaning from it :)
"Tedium is a paralysis of the soul , a slackness of mind, a neglect of spiritual exercises, a hostility to vows taken. It is a voice claiming that God has no mercy and love for them. It is a laziness in the singing of the psalms, a weakness in prayer, an indifference to the requirement of obedience. An obedient person does not know such tedium, for he has used the things of the senses to reach the level of the spirit.
Tedium is rebuffed by community life, but she is a constant companion of the hermit, living with him until the day of his death.
At the 3rd hour, the devil of tedium causes shivering, headache and vertigo. By the 9th hour the patient has regained his strength, and when dinner is ready he jumps out of bed. BUT now when the time of prayer comes, his body begins to languish once more. He begins his prayer, but tedium makes him sleepy and the verses of the psalms are snatched from his mouth by untimely yawns.
THE real men of spirit can be seen at the time when tedium strikes, for nothing gains so many crowns for a monk as the struggle against this. Note how tedium hits you when you are standing, and if you lean back it suggests that it would be a good thing to lean back.
A man who mourns for himself does not suffer from tedium. This tyrant should be overcome by the remembrance of past sins, battered by hard manual labour and brought to book by the thoughts of the blessings to come ....
'I [tedium] cannot lay my head among those who are TRULY obedient... the singing of Psalms and manual labour are my opponents by whom I am now bound. My enemy is the thought of death, but what really slays me is PRAYER backed by a firm hope in the blessings of the future.'
This is the 13th victory. He who has won it is really outstanding in ALL virtue."
[emphasis mine]
Amazing! Thank you very much. You've been a great help, I will always remember this in times of temptation!