—Geronta, in the old
days they would say, “Better to wear out your shoes rather than blankets.” What
did they mean?
—They meant, “Better to
wear out your shoes by working than to stay in bed and be lazy.” Work is a
blessing, a gift of God. It gives energy to the body, refreshment to the nous.
If God had not given us work, man would have become idle. Hard workers do not
stop even in old age. If they stop working while they still have strength, they
end up suffering from depression; this is death for them. I remember one little
old man in Konitsa, almost ninety years old, who worked continuously. He
finally died out in the fields, two hours from home.
Besides, the state of
bodily comfort which some people seek is never permanent. They may forget their
stress for a time—have their food, their sweets, their baths, their leisure.
But, as soon as this is over, they seek another form of comfort. They are
constantly anxious because everything leaves them wanting; they feel an
emptiness, and their souls seek to be filled. He who wearies from work,
however, has a constant joy, spiritual joy.
—Geronta, what if you
have back problems and aren’t able to do just any work?
—Fine, but doesn’t the
back need exercise? Doesn’t work that exercises the back help? Listen, I’ll
tell you: “If someone eats, drinks, and sleeps but doesn’t work, he starts unravelling;
he wants to sleep all the time because his body and nerves slacken. Little by
little he comes to the point where he can’t do anything. As soon as he walks a
little, he falls apart. Instead, if he works a little and moves around, his
hands and feet become stronger. Notice that those who love work don’t sleep
much, and they don’t sleep from fatigue—they might not get any sleep for a
time, yet they keep their strength: work has seasoned them, and they became
strong in body.
Especially for a young
person, work is health. I have observed that some pampered children become
tough and seasoned when they go into the military. The military is good for
them. Naturally, this happened more in the old days. Today they are afraid to
push the soldiers, because with a little strain the veins are constricted and
they suffer from nervous shock. I tell parents to pay someone to allow their
children to work for them, to promote their health—this serves to give them a
job they like, so that they will learn to like work in general. For, a young
person who is energetic also has brains, and if he doesn’t work he will become
lazy. Of course, when he sees others succeeding he is confused by his egoism and
can’t take pleasure in anything. He constantly has disturbing thoughts and his
mind is muddled. Later the devil goes to him and says: “Loser! What a
good-for-nothing you are! So and so became a professor, and that other guy has
his own business making good money, but where will you end up?” This makes him
feel hopeless. If he had worked, however, he would have acquired confidence in
himself, in a good sense of the word. He would see that even he is able to get
along, and his mind would stay occupied on his job and free him from disturbing
thoughts. That way it’s a win-win.
-Saint Paisios