18- Some may restrain themselves to attain real freedom

 

St-Takla.org Image: The tongue, talkative person, opinion. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: لسان، شخص ثرثار، رأي.

Such a person does not give himself whatever he wants lest he should spoil himself or lose control over himself and lose the real freedom.

So, such a person proceeds into spiritual training to control himself, restrain his tongue so that it might not err, control his nerves so that he may not rage and lose his friends. He proceeds also with spiritual exercises to control his thoughts so that they may not wander in harmful matters, as well as spiritual exercises to control his body through fasting and vigil and to control it regarding lusts so that he may not plunge into diversion and sensual delight and lose his spirituality.

Is it right for anyone to say: I shall behave as I wish, freely, and not restrain myself and force myself to do good? And if so, is such a person really free or dominated by his lusts?

Using external freedom in the right way

Ten Concepts Books by H. H. Pope Shenouda III

The concept of rest & fatigue