5 Ways We Potentially Feed “The Self”
By: Eric Gajewski
In a day wherest men keep their
bellies filled and have built a false city of security around them let us take
a look at 5 different ways we can (intentionally or unintentionally) put
ourselves into position for “feeding the self”.
The new Age teaches to fulfill the self the Catholic Religion founded by
Christ teaches to deny the self. Modern
man has enthroned himself upon the altar of his own heart leaving no room for
the true King. Let us all keep in prayer
to grow in holiness by continually denying this self which is so eager to grab
the spotlight. Much like we must avoid
those occasions of sin, we too, must do our best, to avoid those situations
where the self can be put on the front burner of our spiritual stoves.
Focus on the Body. Like all things we should be prudent in the
taking care of our bodies. We should do
our best to take care of that which God has given us, however, there is too
much emphasis being placed on the body and looks in the modern world. Scripture says exercise profiteth very little
so why do so many spend 2 hours “working out” and only 15 minutes in prayer
daily? Are these souls on course to meet
their Maker face to Face upon lifes last breath? Assuredly not, therefore, let
us get back to focusing in on God and ween down the hours of exercise and
replace it with prayer. God is not
interested in you perfecting your exterior muscles He is interested in you
growing in the interior life. He is
interested in the expansion of your heart in Selfless Love. What you love is demonstrated in by what you
do. If you are taking a peek at how you
look a handful of times durng the day indeed you are self-absorbed and
thoroughly enjoy to feed the self monster.
Focus on Career. So many females these days have takes the
poisoned modern world pill and decided to make career their first choice over
rearing children. Sadly, there are
bigger homes but fewer children within these homes. In America it seems the way for women is to
have a great career and a few kids on the side and yet is this the godly or
Catholic way? The answer is no and thus
our females need to realize how important they are to the home and ultimately
society. The New World Order is quite
clear that they are behind the agenda into getting women out of the home and
promoting feminism via masonic “equality” and thus so many women eat from the
cake of self. Men are no different. To many men spend too much time at work and
do not take an active role within their own homes which they are supposed to be
at the head of. Thus, more women are
trying on these pants of the home trying to do two jobs (hers and his) at once! To many men are driven by silly honors and
meaningless awards or pursuing money itself.
Here is a thought…get your heart focused back on Christ and allow Him to
lead rather than thinking you need to do it all.
Bad Friends. Choices have consequences. We have all heard this from our parents yet how
many of us realize that we let toxic people into our lives whose seemingly only
mission is to feed the self. Bad company
will ultimately wear us out and brood bad behavior. In addition, unconsciously we can surround
ourselves with those of greater status or who are “cooler” to make our own “self”
feel better. This is not spiritually
healthy. Crowds may be temporary relief
for some but truly this does not provide us interior comfort. You should prefer silence and solitude over
having many friends and choose the path to most resistance instead of the path
to least resistance. In the end, bad
friends will help to fed the self which we are trying as Christians to
avoid.
Pleasures and carnality. Through our fallen nature we tend to look for
trouble, that is, to have “the self” go on a shopping spree if you will. The only way we can keep the self in check is
by staying focused on Christ and keep turning to His Sacred Heart. We can stay close to the Sacraments and Our
Lady to keep our inner eyes open and our outer eyes shut unto the flesh and the
world. Due to our fallen nature we like
to please ourselves and thus the pandemic of pornography, pills and partying
fills the homes of so many when Christ is left out in the cold. We can only be filled if we are first
completely empty. Satisfying the senses
via the passions only keeps our cup filled with the sludge of self.
Distractions. The modern world is filled with distractions
that keeps our minds occupied and thence our hearts as well. We are not filled with Christ through prayer
when our hearts and minds are elsewhere.
Just as idleness is bad for the soul so is being overly distracted. Take a look ad analyze your own life to see
how we manage to squeeze in a few minutes
of prayer in between watching all of the latest TV shows. See how the computer occupies to much of your
time. See how the latest gidgets and
gadgets run our lives rather than the Prince of peace. In the end the desires of our hearts MUST
unite with what His Will wants for our lives. Self will impede grace and often
times snuff it out altogether for this is the goal of self. The self wants to be God and run the heart
rather than Christ. As I have said many
times “in every action there is a tug of war between this self and the Sacred
Heart”. Will you let the latest modern
inventions pull you away from being in the Presence of God?
