126. As regards the renunciation of the world, many people believe that renouncing the world and living by the spirit rather than the flesh means rejecting worldly things, principally riches and honours, and going about continually meditating piously on God, salvation and everlasting life, spending one's time in prayer, reading the Word and religious books, and also mortifying oneself. But these things are not renouncing the world. It is rather loving God and the neighbour; and God is loved by leading a life in accordance with His commandments, and the neighbour is loved by doing services for him. So in order to receive the life of heaven, a person has to live fully in the world, and engage in offices and business there. A life withdrawn from worldly things is a life of thought and faith divorced from a life of love and charity. Such a life destroys the will to do good and the doing of good to the neighbour; and when this is destroyed, spiritual life is like a house with no foundations, which in course of time either sinks into the ground, or opens up gaping cracks, or totters until it collapses.