Unfortunately, a man most often reacts immaturely to the stress of life; it is manifested in all of the three levels of his relationship with reality. He tries to change the world around him, the notion of reality in his mind, his feelings, instead of changing his heart and character.

1) Instead of changing himself, he tries to change the world around himself.

These are mostly the persons who think that happiness and wealth are in the realization of high life standards, and that the cause of the all troubles of mankind lies in insufficient man's abilities and not in his incorrect character.

It is indisputable that a man should be a creator of life, and not its audience; but he should be moved to creation not by seeking the happiness, which he does not have, but expressing the happiness, which he already has in his heart. Otherwise, no matter how he is successful in his work, not only that he is not the creator, but he becomes a victim of life and slave of circumstances, because he works in order to be happy, and not because he is happy.

2) He tries to change the idea of reality.

These are mostly the persons who think that the main problem of mankind lies in insufficiently developed consciousness. They think if the man was aware that something was evil, then he would not do that.

It is not, of course, enough only to be aware of the fact that something is good, but to have the power of good in our hearts. Removing the unwanted thoughts from our mind, we do not remove the very sinful motive, but only the opportunity for the manifestation of the sin, which we still bear in ourselves.

3) He tries to change his emotions.

To those persons is more important how they feel, then whether it is good what they do. For example, to them is more important that the food they eat is tasty, than healthy. They often ask each other "how do you feel", as if it is more important than how their real condition is.

It is not enough to feel happiness and to feel love, but it is necessary to be happy and be good. There is the difference between psychological and spiritual needs. The aim of psychological needs is the change of emotions, while the spiritual needs tend to change the character (motives), i.e. conversion of the heart.

4) Spiritually mature person tends to change his motives, he longs for the conversion of his heart.

Such persons realize that the success of their life work do not depend as much on abilities, as on clearness of the motives they are moved by.

They realize the spiritual dimension of the problem and they solve it on the spiritual plan.

Many people try by some external (political and other) solutions to realize the peace of humankind; they try by deception to realize a peace of their mind; being addicted to something, they try to calm their feelings, forgetting that the source of every unrest is in spoiled human heart.

Undesirable circumstances of life could never be the cause of our unrest, but they could be only opportunities for its manifestation.

Searching for the peace on the wrong place, they become victims of life circumstances, victims of pleasant deceptions and their feelings, and so they became unable to recognize the needs of life, and to offer it creative answer.

In other words, different from the emotions which depend on our experience of reality, the motives which move us do not depend on circumstances, but they only find in them the opportunities for their expression. Real peace, which is based upon the conversion of the heart, upon spiritual rebirth, does not depend on circumstances, but on our relationship with God. Jesus said:

"In the world you face persecution.
But take courage; I have conquered the world." (John 16:33)

Very often a person which is not reconciled with God, which do not have a real peace in his heart, tries to suppress the spiritual unrest by psychological peace. By certain feelings he only suffocates the awareness of his problem. Whether a man is addicted to narcotics, alcohol, music, meditation or religion, it is all the same.

Some claims that they experienced rebirth, but again they have a need for certain feelings. They speak about some alleged balance of spiritual and psychological safety.

If we have a toothache, a toothache pill can help us to feel pleasant, but the cause of toothache only dentist can remove. Do not speak that it is necessary both of them to be in balance. We would understand a man who had taken a pill before he went to the dentist. But if somebody returns from the dentist with praising and gratitude for good healing, and claims that he still has a need for the pill, he either lies that he went to the dentist, or the dentist was not the real one.

The source of psychological needs lies in the unrest of spiritually unsatisfied heart. The one who is moved by the unrest of spiritual needs, does not have neither time, nor will to love anyone. A burdened man simply cannot love.

Different from distorted spirituality which offers a man an answer to his burdens (psychological needs), true religiousness sets a man free from his burdens and in that way it offers him freedom to love.

The aim of this presentation is that we realize the difference between our own psychological and spiritual needs, and instead of changing our emotions, to experience real spiritual rebirth - the conversion of our hearts.

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CHANGING OF THE WORLD INSTEAD OF CHANGING OUR HEART

Why are the fundamental principles of the New World Order condemned to fall? Why it was not the will of God of Old Testament for Israel to have an earthly emperor? (1 Samuel 8:5-22) What is the destiny of all political solutions?
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/ing03.htm

Selfishness is so unpurposeful to the real interests of human individual and human kind, that its existence completely denies the theory of evolution.
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/ina03.htm

CHANGING OUR MIND INSTEAD OF CHANGING OUR HEARTS

Avoiding the unpleasant thoughts we do not remove evil from our hearts, but only opportunity for its manifestation.
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/inc05.htm

As well as a pleasure is a physical need of a sinful man, so the deception is an intellectual need of his unclean conscience.
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/cs.htm

CHANGING OF FEELINGS INSTEAD OF CHANGING OUR HEARTS

No matter how strong or elevated, feelings could never satiate the thirst of our soul. Is there another, more reasonable criterion of man's satiation?
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/inc01.htm

Every selfish and self-righteous heart tends to remove the consequences of sin, which interfere his relationship with neighborhood, and which spoil his pleasant and self-righteous feelings. Such persons do not repent the very sinful motive in their heart, but only the symptoms of the sin in their feelings and actions. How to become aware of the cause of our problem - the sin itself?
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/inc06.htm

Many persons know that their selfish life cannot satisfy the longings of their hearts, but they do not understand why and how could God help them. Many years they call God's name in their prayers, sometimes their soul is filled by very pleasant feelings, but in the depth of their hearts they are still aware that something is missing. What is their problem?
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/cz.htm

God is comprehended by reason, felt by feelings, chosen by will and lived by heart! However, many people try to comprehend God by feelings, to choose Him by a sinful heart and to live Him by their will. Discouraged by their vain spiritual life, and disappointed by their sins, many of these people give up religion, while some of them even think about suicide. By which action of will we could realize victorious spiritual life?
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/cv.htm

SIGNS OF IRRECONCILIATION WITH GOD
https://members.tripod.com/~smirna/cn.htm
Many believers are not content with a simple confidence in God, that He accepts them and forgives their sins, but are always looking for a proof of God's approval in their feelings, various miracles and signs following their spiritual life.