Doing What We Don't Feel Like Doing--The Saints Did It Too!

Whenever I read the lives of saints, how they were endowed with such amazing virtues and how holy they were during their earthly lives, one important aspect of their lives is missing for me. This aspect is that although some of the saints were born with a great deal of virtue and holiness, like our father among the saints St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, there are some that were born of more "average" (for lack of a better word) lives, and the story of their severe daily struggle of how they had to work at purifying themselves and achieving theosis. To me, in reading their lives, it seems that it was easy for all the saints because the accounts of most of the saints don't include what internal struggle they had with practicing holiness; I know that's not true, but without a detailed account, I just can't imagine what these holy ones have done to dispassion themselves. We know the story about St. Mary of Egypt; how her life was before becoming a Christian and to what incredible ascetical feats she practiced to overcome the temptations of her former life; she details greatly how she had this constant internal struggle, but that's just one saint. So it can be frustrating to me to read the lives of these holy ones we're to be emulating, only to feel like I can never ascend to those same heights, because perhaps maybe God has given all of the saints much more grace and virtues than I have been given (in other words, they have a huge "head start" on me, if that explains it better), so it will never be possible for me to achieve any level of sanctity.

St. John of Kronstadt's (+1908) following quote is helpful to me because it proves to me that virtue is something that is to be practiced before it becomes something natural for us, just like anything else in our lives. His following quote from his book "My Life in Christ" illustrates this...that we are called to force ourselves to act the opposite way if we are being tempted by evil. This takes much effort on our part and vigilance over ourselves, which is not easy and not just given to us by God.

“Do everything in opposition to that which the enemy suggests to you: he suggests to you to hate those who offend you—you must love them; bless those who curse you, and do not torment those who take away your property, but give it away willingly; when you want to laugh—weep; when you feel despondent—endeavor to be glad; when you feel envious—rejoice at the prosperity of others; when you are inclined to contradiction and disobedience—immediately submit and agree; when impure thoughts occur to you—be zealous of the purity of your heart, represent to yourself the high destiny of the Christian, made godly in Christ Jesus, and remember that our members are—the members of Christ; when you feel proud—humble yourself; when spiteful—be especially kind; when irritable—preserve calmness; when avaricious—be generous; when distracted—immediately close your feelings to all outward things, and mediated on the ‘one thing needful’; when you feel doubt, little faith, unbelief—then especially call firm faith to your help, remind yourself of the examples of faith, or of believers in the Old and New Testaments, as well as the miracles accomplished by faith, and so on. Do thus, and do not succumb to the enemy: for all passions, partialities, and fancies are of his imagination.”

I especially like that he says endeavor to be glad when you are feeling despondent. That excellent word choice means that we should not only choose to be glad, but that it will take some toil, it may not be easy and may not even be pleasant.

So this counsel tells us that it's going to take some work to achieve these same virtues of love, joy, obedience, purity, humility, kindness, peace, faith, and more. This counsel is a “recipe” of sorts for us on how to conduct ourselves when faced with things that are hindrances to behaving in a Christian manner.