The abbot Agatho said, "If an angry man were to raise the dead, because of his anger he would not please God."
It's important to do 'Christian' things. It may be even more important to be 'Christian'. It sounds so simple to say, and it has been said for so many centuries, but why do we have such an easy time rushing past simply 'being' Christ's disciple to get on with 'doing' Christ's work. It's not that doing great exploits for the kingdom of God isn't in God's plan, I just wonder if we have empasized the actions more than the relationship and the inner workings of the personal Christ in our lives. If we focus the majority of our attention on what we can get done for Jesus, we could very well become hollow frames carrying on in the name of Christ, but completly empty of any real presence in our lives. On the contrary, when a person consciously pays close attention to keeping step with Jesus, talking and listening to him, being his disciple, and constantly guarding the attitude and character of the inside man, the deeds of a true Christian spring up. The desert father Agatho calls our attention to this fact. To him it was utltimately more important to be inwardly clean before Christ, than to perform a miracle for him. Not only that, Agatho teaches us that great deeds done in the name of Christ are negated when not originating from the correct motive or attitude. Kind of reminds me of the story of Saul and Samuel in 1 Samuel where Saul feels he can make ammends for his impatient and prideful heart by performing an act of worship for God. One of the many lessons I grasp from that story is that demonstrative actions done for God can never take the place of being honest and 'right' before him.
It's hard to be Jesus' disciple. It's much easier to put on the costume - which I think can be purchased at your local Christian Bookstore.
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