by Abbot Tryphon –
The quest for righteousness is not a part time job.
Teachers and parents routinely remind children of the importance of refraining from giving in to peer pressure, knowing that good behavior can often be undermined by the desire to fit in with their friends and schoolmates.
We adults need to remember that we, too, are often subject to peer pressure. When we are surrounded by people who always take the moral high road, who are honest in their business practices, and respectful in the way they treat other people, our own adherence to the commandments of God is made easier.
How do we behave when we are spending time with that neighbor, friend, or relative who is fun to be with, but shares off colored jokes, or says horrible things about other people? Do we give in to laughter because we want to fit in, or do we always take the high road and keep true to our Christian faith, regardless of the behavior of people we are with?
“To be righteous among the righteous is a great and praiseworthy thing, but it is a far greater and more praiseworthy thing to be a righteous man among the unrighteous” (Bishop Nikolai Velimirovicn, ‘The Prologue from Ochrid’).
To be righteous is not a part time job.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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HT: Abbot Tryphon Facebook post from Sept 1, 2015.
