The 4th century monk, Evagrius Ponticus writes in his treatise on prayer, “pray first to receive tears,
so that through compunction you may be able to mollify the wildness that is in
your soul, and, having confessed against yourself your transgression to the
Lord (Ps. 31:5), you may obtain forgiveness from him.” The wilderness within the interior of our souls is the place we need to mourn. As John, son of Zechariah calls from the wilderness, "Repent!" However, God desires more from us than turning away from sin and changing our ways but rather wants us to be sorry for the pain we have caused.
Yet also the wild is not a place that we need to be in by ourselves. If we pray like Evagrius suggests with tears then not only will God forgive us but also soothe the wild places in us. While we have to suffer the consequences of our sins, God does not desire us once we are forgiven to continue to punish ourselves. God sees the grief in our souls and shows mercy upon us.
During this Advent season, I invite you to consider, where are the places within your soul that are still wild? What are the things that you need God's help in grieving over so that you can be healed and not keep letting the past hold you back?
Yet also the wild is not a place that we need to be in by ourselves. If we pray like Evagrius suggests with tears then not only will God forgive us but also soothe the wild places in us. While we have to suffer the consequences of our sins, God does not desire us once we are forgiven to continue to punish ourselves. God sees the grief in our souls and shows mercy upon us.
During this Advent season, I invite you to consider, where are the places within your soul that are still wild? What are the things that you need God's help in grieving over so that you can be healed and not keep letting the past hold you back?
No comments:
Post a Comment