DNOTS, part 3
3. Attached to the Feelings
. Many of these beginners will also begin to have spiritual greed, the second capital sin. They will become discontented with what God gives them because they do not experience the consolation they think they deserve. They begin reading many books and performing many acts of piety (that means "doing acts with reverence & dutiful respect for God", such as praying and fasting) in attempt to gain more and more spiritual consolation (meaning "comfort", like how a child feels when getting a hug from its mom) .
. Their hearts grow attached to the feelings they get from their devotional life. They focus on the affect, and not on the substance of devotion. Quite often these souls will attach themselves to particular religious objects or holy places and begin to value visible things too highly.
. But those who are on the right path will set their eyes on God and not on these outward things nor on their inner experiences. They will enter the dark night of the soul and find all these things removed. They will have all the pleasure taken away so that the soul may be purified. For a soul will never grow until it is able to let go of the tight grasp it has on God.
Labels: DNOTS, General Life Issues, Theology
posted by Heather R. at 10/31/2006 04:43:00 PM
2 Comments:
Here's one way I relate to this... (the more I read this, the more I realize I'm going through DNOTS right now... it's getting better though. I think I'm coming out of it... gradually). Sometimes I've felt like my prayers hit the ceiling, and bounce back empty. I've wondered, "What am I doing wrong? Am I praying the wrong way? Do I have the wrong motivation? Am I in the wrong mind-set?" I've realized that my act of praying doesn't require God to act or answer. The life of "living for God" is not simply about being filled, but moreso about trust. I pray, I worship, I give to God, and that's all I can do. Now I leave the rest up to God. I can't force His hand - I can only trust Him. Through the Dark Night, am I willing to wait for His return? Will I still praise God even when I feel nothing back? After learning how to do this, I realize loving God is not about feeling God. It's about knowing that God's there even when I can't feel Him for extended periods of time.
11/03/2006 12:37 PM
Wow.... i so love this DNOTS stuff.^>^ think i say that everytime i read another part of it though, he he.
Its a good teaching, though. I think i have been to that place, where i'll do things to get the feeling of eing praised after i do somethign for god instead of focusing on god himself.
11/09/2006 2:57 PM
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