Renounce
“The more a person truly desires the fullness of a life in Christ, the easier it becomes to renounce those things that are contrary to Godliness.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Jude 1:16)
“If we begin to love God with all our heart, then this grace transmits to us in an incomprehensible way the wealth of its benefits. Whoever wishes to retain this experience of grace should strive with great joy to renounce from the soul the benefits of the present age in order to acquire the hidden wealth of true life. To the same degree that the soul advances in this spiritual struggle, the sacred gift of divine grace reveals the Lord’s goodness concealed in the depth of the soul in order to become the sure guide in the manifold spiritual struggle. (St. Diadochus of Photike)
“If we are to walk in the Spirit, we must live a life that is pleasing to God in all its facets…we are called to renounce the things of this world; however, we are also called to be good stewards of everything in this world. We should not lose sight of the fact that we have been called to live in the world and to be witnesses of Christ’s glory on earth. In our daily struggles, we must endeavor to be good caretakers of all the bounties given to us, to be responsible children of God, and to pass on to each succeeding generation the importance of good stewardship.” (Father Michael Tassos)
“If you want to be freed from all the vices simultaneously, renounce self-love, the mother of evils.” (St. Thallasios the Libyan)
"Christians renounce the world by living for something other than the world…Christians transform the world by living for Christ." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou, Sacramental Living)