The Noonday Devil and How to Fight It
Monk Mindset for Living Well
Monk Mindset 3
Be More Human at Work: Work and Study
Reflection on the Monk Mindset & Quote
The “desert fathers” who lived in the Egyptian desert in the 4th - 6th centuries sought a union with God through an intensely ascetic and prayerful lifestyle.
Here, Evagrius, one of the most well-known of the desert fathers, describes the “noonday devil”, a popular metaphor in desert spirituality.
Imagine the heat and torpor of being outside in the Egyptian desert after a hard morning of work. This is what Evagrius would experience most days. Naturally your mind and body would want an escape – to seek some other pleasure than to be present to your duties or life. Because of this natural reality, one becomes vulnerable to spiritual temptation.
And we all have our own noonday devils don’t we? Even in our climate controlled rooms with everything we could possibly need at our fingertips.
We regularly want an escape from whatever boredom or frustration at work or in our duties – to daydream, or scroll social, act out in some way, wish we were somewhere else, or become discouraged in our way of life.
The desert fathers consistently advise, instead of escaping from our work or obligations, to actually turn the energy of the “noonday devil” against itself.
When we feel the urge to escape – in whatever that looks like for you – here are 3 ways to stay resolute in our work and duties:
Quick Prayer. When feeling the urge to escape from your duties, immediately say a very short prayer (called an “aspiration”) inviting God to lead you back to the work or duty.
Stick to the schedule. By sticking to your pre-committed schedule, especially in your work obligations, it keeps you diligent and focused throughout the day, preventing opportunities for the noonday devil to emerge on the horizon.
Be patient. The desire for flight or escape will eventually pass, so be patient in waiting it out, even if you don’t immediately experience emotional reward. Trust that in the long run you’ll feel more satisfied with yourself through this perseverance.
Put It Into Practice This Week
When do you typically experience the “noonday devil”?
Close your eyes and recall a time when you experienced the “noonday devil” and you let him win over you.
Now, imagine the next time you're visited by the noonday devil, and imagine what you could do immediately instead.
Make an internal commitment to follow through on what you visualized.
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