WHY ARE THESE SO HARD TO FOLLOW ?

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beloved in Christ, our Lord has spoken plainly: forgive, love one another as I have loved you, and judge not. These are not hidden teachings—they are the very heart of the Gospel—yet we all know how hard they are to live. Why is this so difficult for us?

Because the battle is within. Pride rises up and says, “I am right.” Envy whispers, “Why them and not me?” The heart remembers wounds, and the mind replays them. Whether we see ourselves as better or less than another, both lead us away from love. And so we struggle.

Christ has already shown us the way. He did not only teach love—He lived it. He forgave from the Cross. He loved those who betrayed Him. He gave us the command, the example, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. Nothing has been withheld from us.

Yet free will remains. Our thoughts remain. We are not forced into holiness—we must choose it. And here is where the struggle intensifies. The adversary knows this weakness well. He cannot force us to sin, but he can plant thoughts, stir emotions, and magnify offense. He makes forgiveness feel heavy, love feel undeserved, and judgment feel justified.

But these are lies.

The truth is this: every time you forgive, you become more like Christ. Every time you choose love over judgment, you break the chains of the enemy. The battle is real—but so is the grace given to you.

Do not be discouraged when it is hard. It is hard for all. Even the saints wrestled. The victory is not in never struggling—the victory is in turning back to Christ again and again.

When the thoughts come, answer them with prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Stay there. Remain there. Let Christ speak louder than the noise within.

And little by little, what was once hard becomes life itself.

May we all strive—not in our own strength, but in the grace of the Holy Spirit—to forgive, to love, and to judge no one.

For in doing so, we walk the very path Christ has set before us.

✠ May His mercy guide us, His love fill us, and His peace remain with us always.

TIKHON II