Podvig...

I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps when I have preached to others I myself should be castaway" (I Cor. 9:27)

A word I learned early on in my conversion, Podvig. It denotes a special emotion. As the icon above states, it is extreme humility. But this is not the type of self-mortification that brings one to feelings of self-pity. There is no sense of loathing. No wasting away in any mire of despair. Podvig is holy. A podvig is a struggle one has taken on to fight those passions that raise the self above God or below it's own natural state.
Man must be in balance with himself. He is a physical being and a soul. He has what the Ancient Greeks called, "Nous" or an inner eye, which can perceive the ramifications of choosing a certain struggle or allowing life to give you struggles. For there is a choice. This is not to say that life will not throw you a curve-ball, as I have come to call them, but implies that we can, and if a Christian we must, choose for ourselves a higher form of living. We accept our struggle, separating ourselves from the world and it's pleasures. With this perspective we can know, whole-heartedly, that suffering can lead one to humility, and humility unto God.

Our lives here on earth are promised to be full of pain. We are told in the Christian church, that by confessing Christ we will ultimately suffer as the world hates God and His goodness. Our Savior himself ascended the cross, for as God He was not forced upon it, and mortified His own flesh, sacrificing Himself on our behalf. We are ask to do nothing less than to take up our own cross and follow Him. None of our Holy Scriptures promise an earthly life free from pain. Being a Christian means being a raw realist, that does not cower at the face of life. We are to live a life, loving even our enemies as they condemn us. There is no manly task like the Christian walk, and little podvigs can assist us in being prepared for the call of our Lord.
Fasting, abstinence, long prayers, almsgiving, spending time with the sick, the dying, the children... all are podvigs and all are necessary to the life of a Christian.

According to Orthodox Christian teaching, a monk is no better than a married man. Both have struggles to face. Both have weaknesses to pray to the Lord about. Both have opportunities to learn about self-sacrifice and unconditional love. One is not put before the other in relation to God. We give a certain respect to monks, deacons, priests and bishops, calling them Father. This is not to be understood in that we are somehow lower than them. In fact they are servants. But in the Christian church we understand things differently. There is always a paradox. Those who are last on Earth, will be first in Heaven. The meek shall inherit the Earth. As we acknowledge ourselves as sinners, and try not to judge others, we inevitably begin to see all others as better than us. We let go of our presumptions that we are not better than someone else and therefore give proper respect to the ones who serve God and us in form as well as fashion. All are made to serve God. All are made that we would magnify Him by our life. All are made to embody the living Christ and be a testimony of the Gospel. Therefore calling someone who is designated a certain position, someone whom we would go to for spiritual nourishment, Father or Mother.  Furthermore, someone who prays for us diligently from the day of our baptism is called our God-parent. They are caring for our soul and wish to see us grow in Christ. Therefore it is important that the whole family is considered before any task is taken on. Something as simple as a desire to go out for a few hours and enjoy an evening with my wife, can be a monumental task, requiring the acceptance and self-discipline of all involved. Marriage is a podvig. Marriage is an opportunity to sacrifice the self for someone else, and for a greater cause than one can grasp by one's self. It is not an understatement to say that making this type of sacrifice can lead one to salvation. Of course both husband and wife must be in agreement that they are in it for the same thing. Marriage is a special arrangement, similar to the life of a monk and his abbot, where one is in obedience to the other. In marriage the roles always change. The husband can not always be in the role of the head in the relationship. He must be versatile enough to accept when it is time to listen to his wife and lovingly acknowledge her voice as equal.

As the duty of a priest in our homes, we husbands must find that opportunity, not to Lord over our wives and children, but to serve them and bless them with our time, our interest, and our prayers. We are to gently guide them in Spirit and in Truth, leading our family as a shepherd does, with tender firmness. We must lead the example with our walk and be solid when they need a foundation. This is the life I choose. This type of life is a podvig.