The obstacle lying deep down in our soul must be removed. And the existing obstacle, is neither the unhealthy state nor, if you like, simply sin itself. Be- lieve it or not, all these help. You go to Christ be- cause you are a sinner; you go to Christ because you are in a mess.
The obstacle in the relationship between you and God is that you strive to salvage your ego. Even the most spiritual things are called for in order to salvage your ego, which is full of self-justification, heartlessness and pride; True love, true devotion to Christ and repentance are missing. You are desper- ately trying to deceive God.
The more you trust in God and the more you be- lieve that He hears you, accepts you and takes you un- der His wing, the more you make sure that you lead a life consistent with His will and commands
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (†)
From the book: Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos, “SPIRITUAL MESSAGES” Panorama Thessaloniki, 2017
