God’s Commandments. This in the language of asceticism is called – obedience, to be in obedience (from the word to listen, to heed). Everything I do, I must do not because I want or do not want to, but because the Other wants it (God, the Church). For example, I do not steal not because I am so decent – but because the Other (God gave the commandment, which expresses His will) wants it. I give alms not because I have become compassionate (an egoist has become compassionate – this cannot be in principle; this is not the mercy that saves – in reality, the “object” of mercy does me a favor, not me to him! More below and in the second part) – but because the Other wants it… Thus, whatever I do, I do it not because I have such a desire, desire (and actually lust – calculation, self-admiration, self-praise…), but because I always rely mentally (with choosing will) on the Other, on his desire, will (“Our Father, let Thy will be done”), and it is no longer I who live, but the Other lives in me (“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”). And so little by little, gradually, the mind will come out from the subconscious outward and return to its proper place – to live by the Other, to be in communication with Him. “Whoever wants to follow Me,” says the Lord, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me”. To deny oneself (the first action) and to take up one’s cross, the yoke of Christ’s commandments, or better to say – Christ Himself (the second action). To outgrow oneself – you need to be in obedience – to not listen to yourself, your desires – lust, but to the Other, to heed Him. Obedience is not mindless, mechanical fulfillment of the will of the Other, but a creative process: to listen with reverence, to ponder, to gaze at the Other (“to become like the teacher, to reach the level of the teacher – to acquire the mind of Christ”). Since we are very disobedient, and without obedience this “chemical” reaction is not possible, then the Lord, who inexpressibly Loves us, uses an alternative way of separating “po” from “desire” – sorrows, diseases, persecutions.., which help us to repent, turn away from ourselves (egoism – our self) to the hypostasis of the Other. Therefore, the confirmation of the correctness of our actions we must seek not in ourselves, but in the Other (in the Holy Scripture, the Holy Fathers, friends-advisors). Many holy fathers (being spirit-bearers) did not give advice until they found the answer to the questions posed to them in the Bible or the works of the Holy Fathers. Therefore, always, when you have renounced your will (denied your will) before the sinless will of another (for example: one of the spouses insists on purchasing a certain brand of home appliance, and the other definitely knows that this brand is unreliable, and experience shows that appliances of this brand break down quickly. But if the one who is against the purchase, gently explaining his position, meets uncompromising insistence and renounces his will before the other – both will grow and gain, even if this appliance needs to be thrown away the next day… The main thing is to overcome egoism and acquire God!). You might say: there are not always Scriptures or a friend-advisor at hand, how then to renounce your will and you need to act quickly? Very simple: if you already have a ready arsenal of desires (anger, malice, hatred, vengeance, deception, calculation… or even “good”, “bright”), and all are eager to be the first to be realized – think and tell yourself: Would Christ have acted this way now?! How would the One, who said: love your enemies: those who curse you – bless, those who hate you – do good, for those who persecute you – pray; love your neighbor as yourself! And if there are no ready desires, think: how would Christ have acted in this situation? You can take below: how would a saint, whose life I know and to whom I try to measure up. – More in the second part).
The main thing in the process of healing is repentance as a change of mind, a great understanding, a turn of one hundred eighty degrees from nature to the Other, the Personality; to stop imposing the unnatural on nature and to discard the unnatural that has already been imposed (only Christ can do this with our help – correct spiritual life). The Lord began his preaching with the words: “Repent!” And the Church of Christ does not cease to call everyone to repentance. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to repent (to begin to repent), to change the wrong, ego istic impulses that the personality sends into nature, to stop interfering where it is not necessary to interfere – this, in the language of the Church, means to stop sinning, that is, to stop accepting and realizing evil thoughts (from Satan) and to act incorrectly out of ignorance. The Lord always accompanied healing with the forgiveness of sins, setting the right thinking and directing the will, because without repentance the healed (better to say, patched up) will be worse than before, because he has a healthy body to commit more sin. Therefore, first repentance, proper spiritual-soul-body “nourishment”, the beginning of a healthy “comprehensive” life, and then the help of doctors (if there is a need to remove, alleviate some symptom-disease). Although, if there is real repentance – doctors are not needed. The Lord says: