БЛАГОЧЕСТИЕ

Brother and sister who are zealous for godliness! You will have to hear, and perhaps often more so from your family, that you are a difficult, unbearable person; you will see strong dislike towards yourself, hostility for your piety, although the hostiles will not express what exactly it is for piety that they are hostile against you - do not be indignant at this and do not fall into despair, because the devil can actually exaggerate to enormous proportions some of your weaknesses, from which you are not free as a person, but remember the words of the Savior: “A man’s enemies are those of his own household” (Matt. 10:36), - and correct your shortcomings, but hold fast to piety. Trust your conscience, your life and your deeds to God, who leads our hearts. However, look at yourself impartially: in fact, aren’t you difficult in character, especially for your family, perhaps you are gloomy, unkind, uncommunicative, taciturn. Open your heart for sociability and affection, but not for indulgence; in reprimands, be meek, not irritable, and gentle. “Let everything with you be done with love” (1 Cor. 16:14), said the apostle. Be patient, don’t reprimand for everything, tolerate others, pass in silence, and turn a blind eye to them. Love covers all things and endures all things (see 1 Cor. 13:7). Sometimes, due to an impatient reprimand, enmity arises because the reprimand was given not in the spirit of meekness and love, but in the spirit of a self-loving claim on the obedience of another (7). You might be interested in: