Help! Quest for temperance has stalled!

[GRATEFULONEjim]

I have been in a Spiritual tug of war lately in my quests to increase the virtue of temperance in my life. I often struggle with excess in various areas of my life. My prayer life is sound. as is my family life. I go to Mass every Sunday with my family, spend time in Eucharistic Adoration each week,pray the Rosary daily… I believe I have established a good relationship with God, but it seems as though I am making no headway or even slipping backwards in my battles. Has anyone experienced a similar thing, where it seems like you need a swift kick in the temporal behind? I don’t know if it’s lack of spiritual direction or what! Things seem stagnant right now. I have been spending some extra time on CAF lately and that has helped some, but I can’t figure out how to get over the hump! I would appreciate any comments…

 

[Shin]

Well, FWIF…

… make certain you’re praying enough… at least, everyday pray for the virtue, several times, in short prayers.

I have had great success with praying short, direct prayers for various things, regularly. For example… ‘God please grant me the virtue of temperance.’ Or, ‘God please grant me the virtue of temperance, prudence, and fortitude.’ every day and every night, it’s short, easy to remember…

You have to replace the bad intemperate habits with virtuous habits… So, find different activities that you do not spend time on intemperately…

Computers are conducive to intemperance, because they place you in a passive/receptive state where you are constantly seeking immediate stimulation and losing track of time. So one has to be quite careful.

Ditch TV, I might add, entirely.

If you’re in an environment conducive to intemperance, form a habit of leaving that environment and going elsewhere for activities. Walks, visits to parks, churches, chapels… etc… bring along a book…

Check out church societies… So on.

And keep praying to God and making acts of contrition about intemperance. So He can show you the way. Don’t treat any vices as light. But seriously see that you are missing special graces and Communion with God as long as you are not living the virtuous life, and also being penalized for this.

 

[4loveofJesus]

May God’s Blessings, Love, Mercy, Graces & Blessings to you and to all!

Being an authentic Christian means daily dying to ourselves, of our own selfishness, of our own pride, of our own will. It means that we always must take up our cross & follow Him. Surrendering our lives, our wills to God and doing only His most Holy Will.

Let us not lose heart when we fail for it makes us realize who we truly are - nothing without God’s Grace, Love and Mercy. Our Good Lord Jesus showed us a very good example of getting up each and every time He has fallen under the weight of the His heavy Cross. What is important is getting up again every time we fall and never giving up in following Him and His Most Holy Will.

It is very good that you go to Holy Mass on Sundays, pray the holy Rosary and adore Our Good Lord Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. You may want to go to Holy Mass on weekdays too (schedule permitting), go to Confession frequently, read a line or two of the Sacred Scriptures and just allow God to talk to you in the silence of your heart. Do daily spiritual reading by reading the writings of the saints (sinners like us who persevered). There are so many of them: St. John Vianney, St. Faustina, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales to name a few.

Take care & God bless to you and all!

Praying for you and for all!

 

[surritter]

Could it be said that God is allowing this to happen to show you that you can’t do it by yourself?
I’m not saying that there’s nothing you can do, but don’t let it discourage you because great good can come out of wherever your struggle is going.