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The Journey of the Spiritual Life

The Journey of the Spiritual Life. Taken from Evagrius of Ponticus (345-399 ) Precursor to Gregory the Great’s Seven Deadly Sins. Evagrius ’ Goal. To Know and love God Question to ask: What prevents us from knowing God? The way to love God is to learn to love our neighbor.

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The Journey of the Spiritual Life

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  1. The Journey of the Spiritual Life Taken from Evagrius of Ponticus (345-399) Precursor to Gregory the Great’s Seven Deadly Sins

  2. Evagrius’ Goal • To Know and love God • Question to ask: What prevents us from knowing God? • The way to love God is to learn to love our neighbor. • We develop virtues that redirects our emotions and passions to that which is good. • We repent from a life oriented against God and learn how to see ourselves within the broader purposes of God’s love

  3. Spiritual Journey as viewed through the classics • Eight deadly thoughts have a counter part of eight godly virtues • If we succumb to any or all of the deadly thoughts, we create a roadblock that makes pure contemplation of God impossible. • As we learn to love our neighbor we learn to love God. • Each of us will be assailed by all eight deadly thoughts at some time or another. • Question: How will we react to the gravitational pull of each deadly thought when it arrives?

  4. Spiritual Journey Is Not Easy • The church is raising “strong willed children.” • Spiritual journey is about “shaping the will without wounding the spirit” • God often sends trials and tribulations to break down our rebellion and build up our faith and character. • Western culture often separates the relevance of spiritual and material realities, thus handicapping us in developing Spiritual disciplines.

  5. Eight Deadly Thoughts • Gluttony • Lust or impurity • Greed or avarice • Anger • Melancholy or depression • Indifference or discouragement • Envy or vainglory • Pride See Colossians 3:5 & 8; Ephesians 4:17-19,31; Galatians 5:19-21; Proverbs 6:16-19

  6. Reasons to address the deadly thoughts • Greatest concern: the disorienting effect of the deadly thoughts. They can throw us off course to our aim of pursuing life with God. • Each deadly thought arrives at a particular moment in our spiritual journey and its lingering spiritual effects can last a lifetime. • Each deadly thought is interdependent with all of the rest. • Although we face the deadly thoughts individually, their power is cumulative if left unresolved.

  7. Methodology • Ephesians 4:20-24; • Colossians 3:5-10 Obedience • James 1:22-25

  8. Demons’ Strategy • Perceptions/images • Memories • Imagination • Thoughts I Pet 5:8-9 Purpose: • Blinding us to God • Darkening our soul • Dull our thinking • Arouse passions which dulls our thinking I John 3:8-10; James 4:7-10

  9. Eight Godly Virtues • Temperance (overcomes gluttony) • Chastity (overcomes lust and impurity) • Generosity (overcomes greed and avarice) • Mildness (overcomes anger) • Wisdom (overcomes melancholy and depression) • Diligence (overcomes indifference and impatient discouragement) • Happiness (overcomes envy) • Humility (overcomes pride) See Colossians 3:12-17; Galatians 5:22-24; Phil. 4:8

  10. Environment • Community of trust • Community of vulnerability • Community of accountability • Results: Positive resolution as are cumulative. • Resolution at one level leads to positive resolution at subsequent levels. • Negativeresolution are cumulative • Left unresolved leads to defeat

  11. Seven Deadly Sins GrahamCampoloFairlieBazyn • Pride Sloth Pride Pride • Anger Lust Envy Envy • Envy Anger Anger Anger • Lust Pride Sloth Avarice • Gluttony Envy Avarice Lust • Sloth Gluttony Gluttony Gluttony • Avarice Greed Lust Sloth

  12. Evagrius’ Order of Thoughts • Animal Vices – the Irrational-Instinctive • Gluttony • Adultery • Greed • Emotional Vices • Anger • Melancholy/Depression • Human Vices – the Rational Will • Slothfulness/Laziness • Vainglory/Envy • Pride

  13. Seven Questions on Spirituality • What is the goal of the spiritual life? • To know God and to enjoy God forever • To be Spirit controlled and love our neighbor • What is the path to the goal? • Preparation and the purgation of vice • The list of vices may differ according to history • What motivates us to begin the spiritual life? • Fear, remorse, guilt, confusion, loneliness, a desire for justice, for truth, for understanding, etc.

  14. Seven Questions cont. • What helps us make progress in the spiritual life? • Prayer, mediation on scripture, retreats • What hinders us in making progress in the spiritual life? • Lack of faith, flagrant sins, pride in our progress • How do we measure progress? • Are we maturing in our walk? • What are the fruits of the Spirit? • Love, joy, peace, friendship, discernment, self-control and victory over death. See Isa 11:2; Gal 5:22

  15. LectioDivina Five interlocking parts to combat deadly thoughts • Reading a passage of scripture to yourself aloud • Meditating or thinking aloud what you have read • Praying about what has risen up in your mind and heart in mediation • Contemplation – simply resting silently in God for a time • Responding in action

  16. LectioDivina

  17. LectioDivina

  18. Gluttony Overcome by Temperance • Definition:Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires. Gluttony is the insatiable desire to take things in, to consume, and to attempt to satisfy desire through gorging (subsistence culture vs unlimited resources). Seduces us into believing that satisfaction in life can come from sources other than God. Overindulgence, drunkenness and over eating. • Root cause:loss of confidence in God’s provision and the epitome of human selfishness • Example:fear of loss of a job so we compulsively overwork. Compensation for poor self-image. OT examples Gen. 25 • Spiritual discipline: fasting – breaking the hold of the all consuming thing (self-control).

  19. Gluttony Overcome by Temperance • Scriptural teaching: Lev. 10:9; Num 6:3; Deut. 8:1-3; Prov. 21:20; 25-26; 23:19-21; Dan. 1:8-20; 10:1-3; Matt. 6:16-18; 16:24; I Cor. 9:27; I Tim 3:2, 11; Titus 1:10-16; I John 3:17; • Virtue: put on temperance (moderation in action, thought, or feeling: restraint. Kept or held within limits: not extreme or excessive). Confidence that there will always be more to come and God will provide. Take only what is needed. Starve a habit and live a balanced life (moderation in all things) • Trust and a hope in a future that does not presently exist • Trust that our future needs will be met and that we do not need to hoard now, so long as we follow God.

  20. Lust or impurity overcome by Chastity • Definition:Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body. Lust ruins lives. Belief in a lie that relationships are not necessary • Root cause: Egocentrism and the belief that the person after whom we lust exists only to satisfy our unbridled desires. • Example: Illusion—promises satisfaction but leaves you empty; Immaturity—unable to chose one; Denial of death—we become less attractive & desirable. Lust dehumanizes the person. • Spiritual discipline: Put on chastity or love • Scriptural teaching: Deliverance; I Cor 6:15; I Cor 7:25, 32-34 • Virtue: Chastity works to properly balance love with the capacity to be loved. Chastity is found in relationship, fueled by fidelity, and endures through time.

  21. Greed overcome by Generosity • Definition: Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness. Greed knows no limits (never enough). Always grasping for more money, fame, or filling other’s minds with ourselves. Greed leads to a lack of respect for the needs of others. • Root cause: Self-center on our own needs (Gen 3:6) • Example: Greed provides for the “what ifs” in life – aging, famines, sickness, poverty, depending on others (Jer 22:13-17; I Kings 21:1-19). • Spiritual discipline: Generosity

  22. Greed overcome by Generosity • Scriptural teaching: Exodus 20:17; 22:22-23; Eccl. 4:8; Jer 6:13; Matthew 5:3; 6:1-4; II Cor. 8:1-15; I Tim 6:3-10; Luke 3:11-14; 12:20-21; I Cor6:9-10; Heb. 13:5-6; • Virtue: Put on generosity. Our greatest good is found in sharing with others in community. It celebrates contributions. It’s not about me but about others. (Deut 15:10; Ps 37:21, 25-26; Prov 11:25; I Tim 6:18; II Cor 9:6-15)

  23. Anger overcome by Mildness • Definition:Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath. Anger arises from a sense of violation – a violation of self, of agreements, of principles. Anger comes when we feel a threat to our social status or a desire to control other people’s lives. • Root cause: Anger is an emotion related to one's psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged or denied and a tendency to undo that by retaliation. • Example: Evagrius writes: “the most fierce passion is anger. In fact it is defined as a boiling and stirring up of wrath against one who has given injury. It tends to lead to a preoccupation with the one with whom we are angry. It ruins our health—both physical and mental.”

  24. Anger overcome by Mildness • Spiritual discipline: Confession and self-restraint (Gen 4:3-7; Prov25:28; I John 1:9-11) • Scriptural teaching: Gen. 4:4-7; Exodus 20:13; Prov. 15:1-2; 27:4; 29:8-11; Matthew 5:5, 21-26, 38-42; Rom. 12:14-21; II Cor. 12:20; Col. 3:8-10; James 1:19-21 • Virtue: Put on mildness. The center of our life should be on God and not others. God needs to totally satisfy our need to be valued and recognized. • Forgiveness • Love I Cor 13:5

  25. Melancholy overcome by Wisdom • Definition:The loss of confidence in the goodness of the world and our place in it. Our very existence doesn’t matter. • Root cause: it comes from deprivation of our desires or deprivation of the things we desire most • Example: How would my life be better if I had …. Often our opinion about ourselves is affected by comparing with others. • Spiritual discipline: put on wisdom; who are we in Christ • Scriptural teaching: Jeremiah 45; Eccl. 8:1 • Virtue: the ability to recognize the role our life plays in the greater affairs of the world.

  26. Indifference overcome by Diligence • Definition:Indifference is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. It happens when we lose confidence that the way we spend our life really matters. • Root cause: the daily affairs of life don’t matter • Example: Too lazy to love in marriage; too lazy to love others; too lazy to nurture children; too lazy to enjoy life; too lazy to grow in Christ; too lazy so procrastinate. • Spiritual discipline: put on diligence – through the power of the Holy Spirit; address the fear of failure. • Scriptural teaching: Habakkuk 3:17-19; Romans 8:11ff • Virtue: the perseverance that helps us get through tough times. • Belief that the ultimate purpose of our life rests in God’s hands • Belief that God will eventually reverse our fortune • Maintaining confidence in the providence of God even when there is no immediate evidence to justify such confidence • Have a community of encouragers to help you (Exodus 17)

  27. Envy or vainglory overcome by Happiness • Definition:is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation. When we feel inadequate about our own gifts and abilities and begin to resent the gifts and abilities of others. Fear of losing our place. Envy ultimately prevents us from seeing our own gifts and celebrating the role we have to pay in the social networks and organizations where we find our grater meaning. • Root cause: seeking the praise of men, self-centered insecurity • Example: see sheet • Spiritual discipline: put on happiness

  28. Envy or vainglory overcome by Happiness • Scriptural teaching: see sheet • Virtue: celebration of the mutual contribution that we make together. Recognizing our own competencies and celebrating the skills and abilities of others • Only when our egocentrism is controlled and our ability to be other-centered is fully developed.

  29. Pride overcome by Humility • Definition:is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. Pride is the result of a disproportionate sense of our own contribution or importance • Root cause: sees the contributions of others as a threat to the view we want to hold of ourselves. • Example: Pride can take on various forms: spiritual, intellectual (Prov 16:18; 16:5; 29:23; I Cor 8:1-2; Romans 12:16; Prov 3:5,) material (Deut 8:18; I Chron 29:12Psalm 62:10; I Timothy 6:9; James 1:17) and social (I Cor 1:10-17; Acts 6:1; James 2:1-13). Ruins relationships, destroys those we love, and can destroy a nation.

  30. Pride overcome by Humility • Spiritual discipline: put on humility • Scriptural teaching: Matthew 5:5; Romans 12:3-8; Phil 2:3-5; James 4:6; • Virtue: seeing ourselves properly in the greater purposes of God’s design without feeling threatened by the achievements of others. • Danger:false sense of humility which masks our pride or result of our self abasement. Shame views self as defective and is not humility. • Warning: God seemingly hates pride the most (Prov 8:13

  31. End Result • Goal: Being able to discern and respond appropriately to any physical, mental or spiritual stimulation. To achieve a full and harmonious integration of the emotional and spiritual life under the direct influence of God’s divine love • Result: Adeep calm based on obedience to the commandments of God and the practice of virtue. (see Romans 12:21 or Hebrews 12:13) • Warning: The passions that the eight deadly thoughts arouse inhibit the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and keep us from loving God and our neighbor.

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