My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
THE NECESSITY OF FAITH AND HUMAN INITIATIVE
There is an ancient Greek saying, Συν Αθηνά και χείρα κίνει", which translates to "Move your hands and (goddess) Athena will come to your aid." The story has it that this man was drowning and he desperately began shouting for Athena to help him but a voice came from above saying, "Move your hands and Athena will come to your aid." It actually means that while divine help is helpful, it requires human effort or action, you must act to achieve your goals, and the goddess of wisdom will help come to your assistance. This of course embodies the idea that success depends on a combination of Divine guidance and personal responsibility. Furthermore, the saying is still used today to convey the importance of self-reliance and the belief that success is a result of both hard work and God’s inspiration.
The Orthodox Christian teaching emphasizes that salvation is a collaborative process requiring both God’s grace and human action, a concept called theosis or deification. In short it is called synergy. The Holy Apostle James taught, "faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). "Faith alone" (by "itself"), static faith, does not save. We must nurture our faith in God and love for Him through our works or actions. For example Abraham’s faith was a living and active faith.
Orthodox Christians do not believe they should be totally dependent on God without making any effort; instead they see the relationship with our Almighty God as collaboration of human effort and Divine grace. This understanding is often called synergy, where believers actively strive to do their part through spiritual discipline and good works or works of agape, while relying on the Lord to provide the grace, strength, and power needed for salvation and spiritual growth. Orthodox theology emphasizes a cooperative relationship where humans and God work together. The believer makes an effort, and God provides grace. A "do-nothing faith" is seen as dead. Genuine faith is active and is demonstrated through action, which is seen as the natural fruit of a living faith, not a way to earn salvation.
Our Holy Orthodox Church teaches a balance between Divine Providence and human effort, emphasizing that while we rely on God’s grace and guidance, we are also expected to use our free will, gifts, and diligence to actively work and find our vocation. God works within us to "will and to do," but this is not a substitute for our own effort. Our actions matter and are an integral part of our spiritual journey. God does not necessarily have a specific "perfect" job waiting, but rather our attitude and effort is whatever chosen vocation is what matters. Our Holy Church rejects the idea of "faith alone" (a dead faith that produces no fruit) and the idea that work alone can earn salvation. A living faith naturally produces good works, which are a living expression of God’s will. There is a need for balance between prayer for guidance and personal action. We pray for God’s will to be done and ask for guidance, but we also use the gifts and opportunities He has provided to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13).
On a more personal level one must not ever yield to pessimism and defeatism if one truly believes in God. People of faith place all their trust in Him Who died on the Cross to save us. Our faith is tested when we face trials, sufferings, pain, disappointments and various threats. Our Heavenly Father desires only that which is good for us and those whom we love. God has given each and everyone of us the needed strength to overcome all painful experiences in life and not to be crushed by them. To surrender to adversity and to allow it to destroy us is not an act of a person of faith. A person of faith remains strong and resolute. Saint Paul knew all about suffering. He called it his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). Here he was a great man of God, whose prayers were continually answered, pleading for God to take this from him. After three times of begging God to remove it, he received this response: "My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
"Elder Paisios was able to ignore his pain. ‘You do your job, and I’ll do mine,’ he would say to his sicknesses, and continue praying, doing manual labor, or seeing people. Though he was suffering himself, he comforted others who were suffering." Through suffering a believer becomes stronger and more committed to God. An Orthodox Christian should not despair in feelings of failure, as despair is considered a great spiritual danger and one of the enemy’s greatest weapons. Instead of giving up, the faith encourages fighting against despair with hope, repentance,, perseverance, and prayer, trusting in God’s agape and the power of Christ’s Resurrection.
Despair is a spiritual attack. The Orthodox Church teaches that despair is not from God but a weapon of the enemy (devil) that suggests there is no forgiveness or hope and that God has abandoned you. Despair is seen as a sin against hope which breaks the connection with God, THE SOURCE OF HEALING. Allowing despair to linger makes a person vulnerable to other sins like anger, pride, and most of all fear. Even a brief, simple prayer like "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner" can help keep the heart open. Our Holy Orthodox Church teaches that our Creator God does not control our lives but has given mankind free will to choose between good and evil. Instead of direct control, God’s relationship with humanity is seen as A CO-WORKING, o a partnership where people are called to work with God’s grace. For example, even though the Lord’s Prayer includes the line "Give us this day our daily bread," in its original Greek, it implies that human beings must also work for it, rather than passively expecting God to always provide.
What have we learned from our experiences in life and how have we acted to improve our situation in life? Everything that we experience in our daily struggle and suffering has a purpose and must be used to our advantage. Our Orthodox Faith teaches that God allows the consequences of human choices to occur, providing opportunities for learning and growth. This is often similar to a loving parent allowing a child to learn from their mistakes, even if the parent could have prevented them. The Holy Apostle Paul said: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child. I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11). The Holy Scripture differentiate between being dependent upon God, or childlike and being "childish" and fulfilling.
A Prayer Against Fear
O Greatly-Merciful Master, Lord Jesus Christ, hae mercy on me and cleanse me from
every sadness and disturbance and cowardice. Drive away from me every spiritual
choking and demonic sorrow, that I sense in my body and my soul. For Your are our
joy, and the hope of all the ends of the earth, and those far off at sea. Be merciful to
me, O Master, upon my sins. Take from me the heavy burden of sin and despair.
Drive far away from me every sadness and laziness. Confirm me in Your Love, and
with unassailable hope and unshakable faith in You, through the intercessions of
Your Spotless Mother, and of all Your Saints. Amen.
Prayer Against Adversity
Dear Heavenly Lord, it is as if I take One step forward and Two steps back. Things
go wrong in the most unexpected ways. It seems like the whole world Works against
me sometimes. And my failure ties me up in knots. Yet I know one thing, For Your
Word has told me, that I AM NOT ALONE. So once again I call out to you, Rise up,
oh Lord, rise up! Strike down the resistance and fear that seek to silence my faith.
Give me strength and clarity to continue, no matter how hard the wind blows against
me. I TRUST IN THE RESURRECTION THAT SETS MY SOUL FREE. You are my
Almighty God and I am your beloved child. Christ won this for me upon the Cross.
Only by your grace, according to Your All-holy Will, Through the prayers of our
Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 