What a Christian should do.
St. John Chrysostom
The sun gives forth light; it cannot help doing so. Animals breathe in and out; they cannot help doing so. Fish swim in rivers and the sea; they cannot help doing so. What, then are the things which a Christian cannot help doing?
First of all, a Christian cannot help praying. To be a Christian is to regard God as a loving Father; and it is natural to talk and to listen to one’s parents.
Second, a Christian cannot help praising God and giving praise to Him. To be a Christian is to affirm God as creator of the universe; and when a Christian looks at the beauty and glory of what God has made, praise and thanksgiving pour from his lips.
Third, a Christian cannot help being generous. To be a Christian is to acknowledge that everything belongs to God, and that human beings are merely stewards of that they posses; so they naturally want to share their possessions with those in need.
Fourth, a Christian cannot help reading the Scriptures and also studying the insights of other Christians. To be a Christian is to rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the Spirit speaks to us through the Scriptures and through the insights of our spiritual brothers and sisters.
The sun gives forth light; it cannot help doing so. Animals breathe in and out; they cannot help doing so. Fish swim in rivers and the sea; they cannot help doing so. What, then are the things which a Christian cannot help doing?
First of all, a Christian cannot help praying. To be a Christian is to regard God as a loving Father; and it is natural to talk and to listen to one’s parents.
Second, a Christian cannot help praising God and giving praise to Him. To be a Christian is to affirm God as creator of the universe; and when a Christian looks at the beauty and glory of what God has made, praise and thanksgiving pour from his lips.
Third, a Christian cannot help being generous. To be a Christian is to acknowledge that everything belongs to God, and that human beings are merely stewards of that they posses; so they naturally want to share their possessions with those in need.
Fourth, a Christian cannot help reading the Scriptures and also studying the insights of other Christians. To be a Christian is to rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the Spirit speaks to us through the Scriptures and through the insights of our spiritual brothers and sisters.
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