Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) Chapter 40 and the Weight of Work - Continued
Let's continue our discussion of the weight of work, an idea introduced to us by Ecclesiasticus 40. Last time we talked about how our thinking can weigh us down at times. Now let's switch gears to our feelings. Feelings bring their own special weight. As we did last time, we'll start with a personal example:
Like many of us, I'm subject to emotional ups and downs. External factors play a role, as well as internal. One regular internal factor has been a relatively steady flow of irrational fears. Fear of what? You name it.
Why? I'm convinced part of the reason is my southern Italian background. If you know the history of this region, you find that the common folk - peasants or, in Italian, contadine - were ruled by a constantly revolving door of foreign powers who exploited and oppressed them - for centuries. The locals who had power or money typically sidled up to their foreign overlords at the expense of their own countrymen. You might imagine that this would inculcate a sense of foreboding, if not outright doom, passed down through the generations of contadine - my ancestors. Whatever the reason, this tendency plays out on a regular basis in my own feelings. Left unchecked, it can hamper my efforts at work. The emotion of fear alone can manifest itself in many forms: fear of loss, fear of failure, even fear of success (yes, you read that right).
Having tried various remedies over the years, I've found few that worked consistently over any length of time save one: trust in God. Of course, it's not like one day, frustrated with all my previous efforts, I said to myself: "Hey, why not just trust in God?" It took time - a lot of time - to get to the point where this has become, more or less, second nature.
Before that, I dealt with unruly emotions in more pedestrian ways. I still find some of these helpful: getting a proper night's sleep - at least 7 hours; eating healthy food; moderate to more intense exercise; taking breaks during the work day to keep myself fresh. Last time we touted being organized and having good systems in place to help you think more clearly and efficiently. These help with emotional turmoil as well.
In fact, thoughts and feelings frequently play off of each other. If my thinking gets a little hazy or haphazard, I tend to feel disoriented, even anxious. If I've allowed some disappointment or setback to trigger an extended bout of annoyance or - on occasion - anger, my thinking goes kaput. If I've not had a good night's sleep, my thoughts and feelings basically go awry. You get the point.
Dealing with thinking that's askew or unruly feelings by purely natural means can work for a time. But bringing in the supernatural - trusting in God - has proved both more long-lasting and, ultimately, more effective overall. With natural means, you're handling the immediate issue in a more temporary manner. With supernatural means, over time, you find that your thoughts and emotions begin to behave themselves on a regular basis more often than not.
In any case, when those peasant feelings do take hold, I simply remind myself that all is in God's hands. I've found Abandonment to Divine Providence by Father Jeanne-Pierre De Caussade a great help in develop a deeper understanding and practice of trusting in God without restraint. If you think you could use some help in learning to trust in God, give it a try. You can even find a free copy if you search the internet. Otherwise, it's in print from a number of sources if you prefer a hard copy.
However you chose to read it, make sure you make time and take your time. The typical edition includes Father's detailed and deep description and explanation of Divine Providence, as well as just how radical our abandonment needs to be. I say "radical" because, ultimately, there are no half-measures. You've got to jump in and keep on jumping in, over and over, until in every circumstance you learn to abandon yourself to God's Will. It takes "Thy Will be done" to a whole other level. The second part of the work consists of specific advice and instruction Father has given to his spiritual children. While the first part can be more theoretical, the second tends towards the practical.
Warning: Father lived in the 18th century. His specific advice was given mostly to religious, mostly French nuns to which he was assigned as a spiritual father. While you may think that we 21st century American men of the world couldn't possibly identify with advice given to 18th century religious, never mind nuns in France, forget it. Do yourself a favor and give this holy man a chance to change your life - not just your work life - for the better.
Next time we'll continue with the great advice in Ecclesiasticus Chapter 40. Having begun a discussion of the weight of our work, we'll move into some specific threats to the faithful fulfillment of our daily duties.
Like many of us, I'm subject to emotional ups and downs. External factors play a role, as well as internal. One regular internal factor has been a relatively steady flow of irrational fears. Fear of what? You name it.
Why? I'm convinced part of the reason is my southern Italian background. If you know the history of this region, you find that the common folk - peasants or, in Italian, contadine - were ruled by a constantly revolving door of foreign powers who exploited and oppressed them - for centuries. The locals who had power or money typically sidled up to their foreign overlords at the expense of their own countrymen. You might imagine that this would inculcate a sense of foreboding, if not outright doom, passed down through the generations of contadine - my ancestors. Whatever the reason, this tendency plays out on a regular basis in my own feelings. Left unchecked, it can hamper my efforts at work. The emotion of fear alone can manifest itself in many forms: fear of loss, fear of failure, even fear of success (yes, you read that right).
Having tried various remedies over the years, I've found few that worked consistently over any length of time save one: trust in God. Of course, it's not like one day, frustrated with all my previous efforts, I said to myself: "Hey, why not just trust in God?" It took time - a lot of time - to get to the point where this has become, more or less, second nature.
Before that, I dealt with unruly emotions in more pedestrian ways. I still find some of these helpful: getting a proper night's sleep - at least 7 hours; eating healthy food; moderate to more intense exercise; taking breaks during the work day to keep myself fresh. Last time we touted being organized and having good systems in place to help you think more clearly and efficiently. These help with emotional turmoil as well.
In fact, thoughts and feelings frequently play off of each other. If my thinking gets a little hazy or haphazard, I tend to feel disoriented, even anxious. If I've allowed some disappointment or setback to trigger an extended bout of annoyance or - on occasion - anger, my thinking goes kaput. If I've not had a good night's sleep, my thoughts and feelings basically go awry. You get the point.
Dealing with thinking that's askew or unruly feelings by purely natural means can work for a time. But bringing in the supernatural - trusting in God - has proved both more long-lasting and, ultimately, more effective overall. With natural means, you're handling the immediate issue in a more temporary manner. With supernatural means, over time, you find that your thoughts and emotions begin to behave themselves on a regular basis more often than not.
In any case, when those peasant feelings do take hold, I simply remind myself that all is in God's hands. I've found Abandonment to Divine Providence by Father Jeanne-Pierre De Caussade a great help in develop a deeper understanding and practice of trusting in God without restraint. If you think you could use some help in learning to trust in God, give it a try. You can even find a free copy if you search the internet. Otherwise, it's in print from a number of sources if you prefer a hard copy.
However you chose to read it, make sure you make time and take your time. The typical edition includes Father's detailed and deep description and explanation of Divine Providence, as well as just how radical our abandonment needs to be. I say "radical" because, ultimately, there are no half-measures. You've got to jump in and keep on jumping in, over and over, until in every circumstance you learn to abandon yourself to God's Will. It takes "Thy Will be done" to a whole other level. The second part of the work consists of specific advice and instruction Father has given to his spiritual children. While the first part can be more theoretical, the second tends towards the practical.
Warning: Father lived in the 18th century. His specific advice was given mostly to religious, mostly French nuns to which he was assigned as a spiritual father. While you may think that we 21st century American men of the world couldn't possibly identify with advice given to 18th century religious, never mind nuns in France, forget it. Do yourself a favor and give this holy man a chance to change your life - not just your work life - for the better.
Next time we'll continue with the great advice in Ecclesiasticus Chapter 40. Having begun a discussion of the weight of our work, we'll move into some specific threats to the faithful fulfillment of our daily duties.
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