Elder Paisios tells us that, if we are to grow in love
toward our fellow man, we are to cut off those thoughts and feelings which are
an offense against love: that is, judgments and resentments. He counseled that
"We should never, even under the worst circumstances, allow a negative
thought to penetrate our soul. The person, who, under all situations, is
inclined to have positive thoughts, will always be a winner; his life will be a
constant festivity, since it is constantly based on positive thinking" (Priestmonk
Christodoulos Aggeloglou, Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain Mount Athos,
Greece, 1998, p. 31).
One of Elder Paisios’ spiritual sons recalls, "Elder
Paisios always urged us to think positively. Our positive thinking, however,
should not be our ultimate aim; eventually our soul must be cleansed from our
positive thoughts as well, and be left bare, having as its sole vestment Divine
Grace granted to us through Holy Baptism. ‘This is our aim,’ he used to say,
‘to totally submit our mind to the Grace of God. The only thing Christ is
asking from us is our humility. The rest is taken care of by His Grace.
"‘In the beginning, we should willingly try to develop
positive thoughts, which will gradually lead us to the perfect good, God, to
Whom belongs all glory, honor and worship. On the contrary, to us belongs only
the humility of our conceited attitude’ " (Ibid., p. 29).
