All this preoccupation with your own imperfection is not humility, but an insidious form of spiritual pride. What do you expect to be? A saint? There are desperately few of them; and even they found their faults, which are the raw material of sanctity remember.
You know best when and how you fall into these various pitfalls. Try and control yourself when you see the temptation coming. Pull yourself up and make an act of contrition when you catch yourself doing any of the things.
Never allow yourself to be pessimistic about your own state. Look outward instead of inward; and when you are inclined to be depressed and think you are getting on badly, make an act of thanksgiving instead because others are getting on well.
The object of your salvation is God's Glory, not your happiness. So, be content to help, remaining yourself in the lowest place. Merge yourself in the great life of the Christian family. You have tied yourself up so tight in that accursed individualism of yours--the source of all your difficulties--that it is a marvel you can breathe at all.
I love this.
Focusing on myself, my shortcomings, my progress, really is a temptation for me. This temptation seems encouraged by certain practices and ways-of-being within our Christian culture.
I appreciate your posting this helpful encouragement to stay awake to this eddy, and steer clear.
Thanks, Wendy
Sounds like we are being encouraged to not live as "short" as our excuses, but instead as "tall" as our abilities.
Good reminder.
I too found this totally refreshing for me today. This kind of issue has been on my mind every day this last year but the way this was put kind of gave me that extra push to keepo working on this. Thanks!
Even though this is a letter addressed to the peculiar idiosyncrasy of a particular Soul, this humbling admonition can speak to and convict an OVER-scrupulous Soul. A Soul seeking to travel the road of Perfection but as with a blindfold on, unaware of a Major pitfall difficult to get out from under - the dark cistern of "spiritual pride".
"...the source of all your difficulties--that it is a marvel that you can breathe at all"!
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