👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾 Overcoming #Lust: An Extended #Lesson
Dear members of John's Repentance spiritual service, today we send you different lessons from different stories about how to overcome the temptation of lust. Hence we entrust you to read it and use it in your daily lives.
1. A man held captive by lust wrestles with a ravenous flame in his heart, a fire that burns unceasingly. In his struggle against this humiliating proposition, he stumbles upon the power of prayer and fasting. As he adopts these practices, the once irresistible flame begins to ebb, its light diminishes, and his heart is relieved. Through fasting and prayer, he refocuses his energy away from his carnal desires and towards his spiritual growth.
2. Another individual, burdened by lust, seeks counsel from an elder. His transparency with the elder lifts the weight of his struggle, replacing it with encouragement and support. The elder advises him, “Fear not, yield not, but whenever the spirit combats you, remember the sanctity of the body and its higher purpose." By illuminating the sin, it loses power, and the individual regains control over his desires. It's essential to remember that opening up about our struggles lessens their burden and can allow for spiritual guidance and support.
3. As another elder suggests, imagine a passerby who catches a whiff of a tantalizing meal being prepared. If the scent is alluring and he accepts its pull, he will go inside and partake. If not, he continues his journey unencumbered. It's the same with temptation—do not let its enticing aroma draw you in. Rather, respond with the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, help me."
4. A man besieged by the lure of lust turns to a holy man for assistance. Through fervent prayers, the holy man begs God for understanding about the source of the individual's struggle. The revelation received highlights the man's active submission to his desires rather than seeking divine help. He was advised to resist and fight against the temptation. Prayer and guidance help him regain his footing and he continues his journey, ever watchful.
5. Two brothers plagued by lust abandon their monastic lives for the pleasures of the world. However, they soon realize the emptiness of their actions, the looming dread of divine judgment, and decide to return to their monastic duties. They seek forgiveness, performing acts of penance, gradually releasing the grips of their earthly desires. Their transformation serves as a testament to the transformative power of repentance.
6. A brother, troubled by lustful temptations, receives an offer of divine intervention from an elder. However, he realizes that his struggle is refining his spirit, and so asks for strength instead of removal. This request enlightens the elder to a new understanding of struggle and spiritual growth.
7. Another brother is tormented by the image of a beautiful woman. The image is so overpowering that he finds himself engulfed in a fierce battle. He exposes himself to the reality of mortal decay, which helps him resist the tempting vision. Understanding the transient nature of physical beauty aids him in his fight against lust.
8. A son struggles against lustful desires and considers renouncing his monastic life. His father sends him to live in the desert for forty days, during which the true repulsive nature of lust is revealed. This experience strengthens his resolve to lead a spiritual life.
9. A monk beseeches an elder for advice on managing lustful thoughts. The elder advises him to contemplate death and eternal punishment—bitter truths that act like a powerful antidote to earthly temptations. The fearful consideration of these realities can help quiet the allure of lustful desires.
10. A brother endures forty days of intense battle against the spirit of lust, appearing in the form of a beautiful woman. His perseverance is recognized by God, who liberates him from the clutch of this temptation. His struggle highlights the value of persistence in spiritual battles.
(Continues) 👇