Struggle

January 05, 2013 Life without war is impossible in the natural and supernatural realm. It is a fact there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral and spiritual areas of life. To determine if we are on the side of good or evil, we must look at the condition of our soul. Is the core of our being tainted with selfishness, lying, stealing, cheating, gossip, prejudice, anger, greed, laziness, arrogance, lust, jealousy, or gluttony? A person does not have to align themselves with a devil in order to be evil, just like we don't have to believe in God in order to be good. But know this... if a person's faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. Moral virtue is both acquired and determined by the choices we make in ordinary situations. If we are not on a path of self-improvement, pursuing a character of excellence, then by default we slip into a gray area dangerously close to the dark side. If we do nothing, then we decay and evil prospers. Our downfall comes from losing the battle within our minds, producing decisions that bring us pain and regret. We are each endowed with special talents to contribute to this world. We are urged to use those skills for good. What this world needs is more kindness and generosity and forgiveness, more people loving one another rather than indulging our own vices. We should not wait for truth and redemption to stumble upon us. We must seek it daily, rooting ourselves in a personal relationship with our creator, so that we cannot be shaken by circumstances. Learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against us... and in a way produce a balance between our own temptation toward natural tendencies and doing the right thing. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition, because we realize struggle is the essence of building strength ...and being alive.