Chapter 53

On Reverence and the Fear of God

This brother said he does not even understand what reverence and fear of God are. This is very bad. Who can stand before a king without fear?! And all the more before God?! In Kiev, in the Lavra, there was a brother who used to say: ‘Look, don’t get too familiar with God.’ Is not this the trouble with that brother? It is no wonder that the fruit of his prayer is determined only by warmth and sweetness. This is spiritual sensuality. The main thing is fear of God and a broken spirit. Warmth and sweetness are good in spiritual work, but one must not measure the worth of spiritual deeds by them.

(Letter 902. Issue 5, p. 176)