Consider the turtle (or tortoise, if you like). It interacts with its natural environment, but when it feels threatened, it withdraws into its own shell for protection.
Be actively involved in the world around you for your own good and for the sake of others, but do not forget to take the time to withdraw into yourself to pray with your heart. Do not isolate yourself from the people around you, yet be on guard against harmful, soul-corrupting influences.
When you gather yourself, remember who you are. Remind yourself what you are called to do. Defend your heart and mind against the evil spiritual powers and the false ideologies of the world by Grace through prayer. This strategy is not purely defensive. It provides the atmosphere for healing, the staging ground for prayer, and the preparation for ministry to others.
Read: Psalm 31; Matthew 6.5-6
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees