A life to please yourself
People in the world do what they do to please themselves. Christians follow this way, too. They may fight spiritual fights; yet, the ulterior motive behind their struggle is that things turn out to be as they wish them to be.
It is very rare to encounter a soul, which says, “my God, let things happen however you want them to happen”. It is even more uncommon, for a soul too not only to say this, but also to be willing to accept what God allows with pleasure, no matter the cost.
Elder Symeon Kragiopoulos: This may sound exaggerated, but be mindful of this: it is possible that Christians commit a great sin because they use their relationship with God and they make whatever sacrifices they need to make, in order to realize their wishes and dreams. Their aim is to please themselves.
It’s very rare to come across a true Christian, today. Without realizing, we Christians fall into the same trap that all of humanity has fallen into: what is ideal today, what everybody is after is how do we please ourselves, how to make things turn out as we wish them to be, and what must be done to enjoy as much comfort as possible.