Peace of Mind During the Storms of Our Life

A Teaching from Elder Thaddeus of Vetovnica on Retaining Peace of Mind During Life's Struggles and Storms

     A man came to visit Elder Thaddeus at his monastery.  The man asked, "What is the most important thing in one's spiritual life?"
     Elder Thaddeus replied, "To guard the peace in our hearts.  Do not let this peace be disturbed at any cost.  Peace should reign in our hearts—peace and silence.
     "Chaotic thoughts are the state of fallen spirits.  Our mind, however, must remain concentrated, whole, and vigilant.  God can only enter a mind that is whole.
     "Besides guarding the peace in your heart, practice standing before the Lord.  This means being unceasingly aware that we are standing in the presence of the Lord, and he is watching us all the time.  We must learn to awake with the Lord and to go to sleep with Him, and eat, work, and walk with Him.  The Lord is present everywhere in all things.
     "We can find the Kingdom of God within ourselves.  'Descend into your heart, and in it you will find the ladder which leads to the Kingdom of God,' says Saint Isaac the Syrian.
     "The Holy Scriptures teach us that the Kingdom of God is... righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).  The first step toward communion with God is to give oneself completely over to Him.  After that, it is God's Energies that work in us.
     "Communion with God means that God has made His abode in us and His Energies are working in us.  Our spirit puts on God and He governs all our feelings, our will, and our mind.  We are then like a tool in his hands.  He moves our thoughts, desires, and feelings and directs our words and the works of our hands."


Source:
Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vetovnica, published by Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood Press.