When a person believes, he trusts the Lord. Faith is what saves, opens us up to God's saving action. The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." The main thing is that a person has faith, repentance and a desire to change his life.
Faith is a necessary quality
A person who tries to live according to the Orthodox faith cannot change overnight. He does not kill, does not steal, does not fornicate, but may have a tendency to condemnation, irritability, idle talk, etc. And all this filth is constantly creeping out, and from time to time you have to confess it. This can lead to despair and diminish hope for the Kingdom of God.
However, the Lord assures us that we always have hope. Christ said: "I did not come to the righteous, but to appeal to sinners to repentance." Faith and repentance opens the kingdom of God even to “hardened” sinners, who constantly “fall”, but at the same time get up and try to move on.
In the life of believers, and not only of the Christian faith, there are miracles to which an undeservedly long time is devoted. Their presence does not mean the presence of God. This can be both clever human deception (for example, hypnosis), and the pranks of demons trying to turn a person away from the true path. The real miracle is the spiritual transformation of a person, i.e. his approach to God. And first of all, it is worth paying attention to this.
Despair can ruin
If a person does not see changes in himself, there is no need to despair. It is enough to look at others and be inspired by their success. It is necessary to be patient and continue on your way, trusting in the mercy of God.
The Lord is almighty and loves his creatures (people) with such love that we cannot even imagine. When we ask the Almighty what we need, doubts arise that the request will be granted, and some despair and even lose faith. In this case, it is necessary to remember (especially for those who are at the beginning of the spiritual path) that God gives only what is good for the soul. It is important to understand this, reconcile and live on.
If our perseverance and pride take over and continue to "pester" God with their prayers, he can fulfill the request, after which it will become clear why there was no answer to it earlier. Usually the consequences are dire, and even then the necessary humility and trust in God are acquired.
We can not doubt at all in receiving what we ask for only when it is spiritual things: love, humility, repentance, etc. All that is salutary for our soul. Even bodily ailments are given for a reason, but for gaining the necessary spiritual qualities. Therefore, it is difficult for the laity to understand why they suffer from certain "sores", cannot be cured by doctors and do not receive help from God. The same goes for childlessness. She carries much less evil than children, whom we may not know how to raise.
Abraham is an example for all believers
In ancient times, there lived the Old Testament patriarch Abraham, who was so close to God that he could talk to him. Apparently, therefore, having made sure of His closeness, Abraham obeyed him implicitly. Modern believers, due to the sinfulness of the human race, cannot boast of this, so they often have doubts. And only the example of their brothers in faith keeps them afloat. After all, faith is the lot of beginners, and trust in God is a more advanced level.
More than one hundred years have passed since the time of Abraham. During this time, a person, with seeming external well-being, degrades spiritually. In a prophecy about the end times, the Lord says: "And because of the multiplication of iniquity in many, love will grow cold." Man has changed so much that he has become spiritually blind and deaf to the word of God. Unlike us, the Lord remains unchangeable. He's the same forever. So we need to change and get as close as possible to the source of goodness - God.
Only those who have set foot on the firm path of Orthodoxy doubt how right they are doing and whether their behavior is consistent with the will of God. The standard is always in front of us. These are the commandments of God that were given through Moses. This is an instruction for action. If we act according to the commandments, there will be peace in our souls and it will be felt.
Thus, living on Earth, we must look at life with a peripheral vision, and focus our main attention on the state of the soul. Only in this case the path to God will be light and easy.
Based on a conversation with Fr. V. Golovin
