J Heinrich Arnold-Freedom from sinful thoughts.pdf

F R E E D O M F R O M S I N F U L T H O U G H T S - S T R U G G L EI have counseled many men and women who areafraid to admit that they struggle with unwantedthoughts; they think they are the only ones afflicted bysuch things. Actually, in a certain sense, all of us have anevil nature. All of us can, at one time or another in ourlives, succumb to the devil, who is not just an abstractidea, but a real force of evil who attacks each person athis or her weakest point. Once the devil wins a place inour heart, the evil that takes root there may lead towords, which in turn will lead to deeds.As a child growing up in Germany in the 1920s, Iheard hateful remarks against the Jews, especially at theGasthaus across the road from my parents’ house. Mostpeople in the village brushed the anti-semitism aside,but my father protested it vehemently: “It may only beevil talk now, but it will lead to evil deeds. One day theywill really dowhat they say.” And they did.Some people are so frequently beset by evil thoughtsthat they live in what can only be called torment. They,too, must trust that God sees deeper into the heart. Godsurely recognizes that despite the wavering of ourimagination, our inmost heart does not want the evilthoughts burdening us. And if we remain unsure even ofthat, we can take comfort in the words of the13th century mystic Eckhart, who writes: “In order tobe set aflame by God’s love, you must long for God. If2