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Catholic Fapstronauts

Good is the Enemy of Great

For Fapstronauts of the Catholic Christian Faith

  1. Dec 3, 2023 #1
    CPilot

    CPilot Fapstronaut

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    When I realize some success against sin, I want to rejoice and I am tempted to credit myself with the achievement. However, God leads me to be reminded that the accomplishment is His. He has fought for me against the evil one. He has won the victory on my behalf. He is key to my success.

    When I credit myself with success against sin, I am immediately setting myself up for a fall. In this way, I relax based on a "good" achievement instead of remaining focused on the "great" achievement - complete trust and appreciation of the warm, safe shelter that is God's love.

    Dear Lord, create a clean heart in me and renew a steadfast spirit. These two things are mutually dependent. I cannot maintain a clean heart unless I have a steadfast spirit. A spirit rooted in the humble knowledge that God is the reason for any success I may have against the devil. When I forget that, I am once again susceptible to the temptations of the evil one and the cycle of sin/remorse/repetence/renewed prayer etc. etc. repeats.

    Good becomes the enemy of Great when we foolishly conclude that our actions are responsible for our success and we lose site of the greatest goal - complete trust and reliance upon God.
     
    CPilot, Dec 3, 2023
    CPilot, Dec 3, 2023
    #1
    Fulton likes this.
  2. Dec 4, 2023 #2
    Mr Eko

    Mr Eko Fapstronaut

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    In fact, Catholic faith says that God's will is that He shares an accomplishment with the man. It's not that only God works. God's will is that the man has to contribute something to God's work. Of course this man's contribution is a liitle only. The most work does God but God can't do it without our cooperation (work, good works). It's not that He is unable to do all (100%) for the man. It's rather that His will is that the man has to do his little part (of the work). What can be this little part? I think in most cases it's an honest prayer (long enough, and if needed repeated 10 times or more), a decision to fast, a decision to forgive somebody etc.
    Of course God is always the first - that is I won't pray if God won't give me first some thought, motivation, some strength, some occasion to pray. But giving this first grace (prevenient grace = a grace before the man's action) He awaits then the answer. If the man won't follow this first grace (he won't start to pray for example) then the next grace (for example - inner healing from fear) won't go to the man. The guilty will be the man.
    So in brief - what you have accomplished (in anything connected to salvation - for example to get rid of active PMO is something connected to salvation) it's first of all God's accomplishment and to some little extent your own accomplishment because those were your decisions not to PMO, to pray in temptation, to go to confession etc. you were not a robot who moved by God did this all without his consent and some work.
    That's why we can await award in heaven. If all good connected to salvation would only be some work of God then we couldn't await any award.

    That the man cannot do anything in his salvation (only God does) is mostly Protestant teaching.
     
    Mr Eko, Dec 4, 2023
    Mr Eko, Dec 4, 2023
    #2
    Toni7 likes this.
  3. Dec 11, 2023 #3
    Life_of_Socrates_777

    Life_of_Socrates_777 Fapstronaut

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    "O Lord, it is you who have accomplished all that we have done." (Isaiah 26:12)
     
    Life_of_Socrates_777, Dec 11, 2023
    Life_of_Socrates_777, Dec 11, 2023
    #3
  4. Dec 11, 2023 #4
    Mr Eko

    Mr Eko Fapstronaut

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    ' If you love me, keep my commands.' (John 14:15)

    ' Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
    He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,... '
    (Luke 13,23 )
     
    Mr Eko, Dec 11, 2023
    Mr Eko, Dec 11, 2023
    #4
    Toni7 likes this.

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