What saith Antisthenes? Hast thou never heard?— It is a kingly thing, O Cyrus, to do well and to be evil spoken of. -Epictetus
Therefore we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring. 2 Thes. 1:4
Steadfastness is a very important thing to keep in mind, though it is commonly ignored. The reason being is that in this nation we live, we have inherited kingly lifestyles. Sure, we work hard, but that was inherited from the fall of man. Otherwise, we live very, very comfortably.
Occasionally, we might get into less than desirable positions. Some huge temptations for us is to doubt our faith, or shake our fist at God saying, "I didn't deserve this!" Why do we not think we deserve pain? There is no reason to think this way, and it sprouts from this supposed right to living luxuriously.
This is where Epictetus' stoicism comes in. What he is speaking of is receiving false repute. If you really had good lifestyle then it really should not matter to you what others might say. We will get insecure and act as if there accusations of us were true. It strings back to one of the primary points of stoicism which is contentment. We must be content with our surroundings, because we really don't deserve anything more in the first place. The world does not owe you anything. Be content.
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2 comments:
I wasnt aware you had a job.
"we" excludes present me, but includes past me and hopefully future me. In other words, I am presently gay.
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