Happiness
St. Gabriel of Imereti God created man not for torments, but for happiness and joy. True happiness isn’t simply given to man. It’s almost always the result of a great work and feat. External successes and material goods alone don’t bring happiness. The truth path by which man can achieve the happiness that is possible in this earthly world is indicated in the words of the Savior: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Mt. 6:33). That is, first and foremost, strive to establish the desire for God’s Kingdom in your souls, seek to know God’s truth and to love the Lord, and then everything else: peace, joy, and earthly needs—food, drink, clothing, and so forth—will follow on their own.
Happiness is the state of a calm, joyful, and cheerful soul, and only a man with a clear conscience can experience it. If a man’s heart and soul are troubled, agitated, and worried, then even a man living in wealth and honors still won’t be able to be happy. And conversely, when a man is calm and balanced, when he’s satisfied with his position and grateful to God for all things, even if he’s poor and lacking in many necessities, he’s happier than all rich people. A cheerful, hardworking man with a pure, undefiled conscience, who, moreover, doesn’t seek much but is content with the little given him by God, will certainly be as happy as possible for a man in this earthly world. But a stingy, insatiable man, whose soul is filled with malice, will never know happiness, for where there is no peace, there is no happiness.
Slander
A man who loves to slander leaves none uncondemned. What he won’t come up with, and what he won’t easily accuse completely innocent people of! If he sees someone going to church every day and praying fervently to the Lord, he’ll say he’s a Pharisee; and if he sees someone going rarely, he’ll accuse him of lack of faith. If someone tries to always speak truthfully to everyone, he’ll call him a misanthrope who doesn’t wish good for others. He doesn’t like a calm and humble man—he’ll say he’s a weakling. As for a man with a strong and firm character, he’ll say he’s cruel and irascible… In general, such a man condemns everyone and disapproves of any affair or undertaking. Don’t forget what a great sin it is to slander and condemn your neighbor.
Trials
Any event or action that can plunge a man into sin is known as a trial. Often, a man can recognize in advance where or with whom and in what situation he could encounter danger and avoid it. Danger is a circumstance or case in which a man must show the true qualities of his soul. There are many such cases or circumstances throughout life: joy and sorrow, happiness and woe, fear, persecution, illness, the death of a loved one, and much more. By God’s providence, a man is exposed to dangers so that by them he might be able to assess his own merits and come to know himself.
Spiritual growth is impossible without danger; danger elevates thought, purifies the consciousness, and improves morality. Danger warns and sobers a man. You can’t make wine without crushing a bunch of grapes, and it’s the same with man. You can’t bear good fruit without the soul being troubled. Every danger must be treated with great attention and understanding. And above all, we must remember that evil shouldn’t plunge a man into hopeless sadness, and he shouldn’t lose his cheerfulness and strength of spirit. Second, he must try to turn the danger to his advantage, bringing joy, goodness, and success out of sorrow. You can do this only once you arm yourself with hope and faith and amend your own behavior. If danger strikes, give thanks to God, gather your patience, and show humility.
Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge is when a man studies himself and examines whether his actions are good or bad, whether he has a good or bad character. Self-knowledge is the foundation of a good Christian life. If a man didn’t realize a sin he committed at first, what failings there are in his heart, then how could he repent of them and become better? The process of self-knowledge isn’t easy—those who desire it will have to work hard. A great benefit and spiritual grace will be given to us if we come to know ourselves well and honestly admit to ourselves what specific shortcomings we have and what exactly we’re guilty of before the Lord. If we do this, then our subsequent repentance will be full and sincere, which will help our correction. And if we’re not able to come to know ourselves well, then we not only won’t be good Christians, we won’t be good at anything else either. He who knows himself well will never condemn his neighbor.
Defender of purity
Living with an evil woman is a great disaster and serious danger. A woman’s malice is the worst, because the Lord originally gave women a tender heart and gentle character. But if a woman changes the character given her by nature and becomes malicious, nothing could be more repugnant. If a woman commands her husband, this is a great shame. No matter how much better, more educated, more intelligent a wife is than her husband, she still has to obey him. This won’t interfere with the family’s well-being, because respecting and submitting to a husband can be well combined with work and caring for the family.
The husband of an evil wife always has a downcast face and a heart full of wounds, but the husband of a kind and prudent wife is always happy and lives long on this earth. Both in the Old and New Testaments, feminine modesty, being reserved in speech, kindness, and caring for family and household are always glorified and affirmed. The purpose of a Christian woman is to be a defender of purity, decency, and morality, to strengthen marriage, to preserve Christian love between herself and her husband and between family members, to be a support to her husband, a guardian of the family hearth, and a support in the family’s well-being.
Blessed is the country and people that have women of pure morality. Such a country will always be strong, prosperous, and happy. Conversely, unhappy is the country and people where the women have forgotten their role and purpose and instead flout Christian ethics and morals. Such a country and such a people will soon weaken and decline.
