Humility and its pitfalls

Humility and its pitfalls

Let us now highlight some of the manifestations of pride. Right from the start I would like to point out that everything I write is already a theoretical one, but in practical life we ​​have a constant tendency to slip into it. Therefore, it does not hurt to question your conscience from time to time.

One of the great temptations that is still widespread among Christians today is the ancient delusion of Pelagianism – the belief that we ourselves can attain or deserve redemption. The belief that salvation depends on us. I have already mentioned that it is not easy to distinguish between my efforts and God’s initiative. But it is true that we are often tempted to look for more to do or to save someone – preferably the Church. But we forget that the Church already has a savior and that is not me, but Christ. Growing in spiritual life is not about doing something to grow, but how to open up to God so that He can transform us. The primary goal of our prayers, sacrifices and conquest can never be to achieve our perfection, but to be more open to the action of God’s grace that transforms us. This is a huge difference. Christ on the question of the Apostles – who can be saved? – he responds unequivocally: “It is impossible for people, but not for God. For God, everything is possible.” (Mk 10,27)

Another temptation may be pragmatism. On the one hand, we are proud to complete, tighten, manage. We are purposeful and think that everything is possible thanks to sweat, work and our own efforts. We define what we do, what we achieve, how much we produce. But God does not look at us through this lens. He defines us according to who we are. We are his children and most of us are closest to him when we are the weakest, emptied, at the bottom. To admit it, it requires humility, and that pragmatic is driving madness. Is there any better example than our Teacher? Thirty years of hidden preparation life and three years of active engagement. Our life situation – family, children, work, loneliness … may seem like a monotonous drudgery that frustrates at its slow pace where nothing changes, grows, develops. And this is where the contemplation of Jesus’ hidden life is recommended. This patient humility, as opposed to aggressive pragmatism, is evident in the lives of those people who are happy and happy where they are. They said yes to what they had to do.

The third pitfall on the road to humility is our uncontrolled emphasis on our rights. Of course, it is right to fight for our rights, and we must not be overruled, but here we are thinking of an attitude where we are convinced of our own uniqueness, and we demand special treatment and advantages. Then we are sad because no one noticed us, thanked us for our exertion, showed us no compassion and the like. Here we can fall into enormous self-pity – no one likes me, no one listens to me, no one takes me seriously … The saddest people are the ones who feel they have been overlooked. If one begins to lick his wounds self-reliantly and continually wonders how he is underestimated, overlooked, misunderstood, he is caroling about a fall in the field of sexuality, alcohol, harmful association with those who only spread a negative mood, grumbling, anger. Yes, self-pity opens the way to various replacements of happiness and ends in addiction or in a bad game.

The fourth obstacle to humility is “racism”. The “right” guy doesn’t cry, he doesn’t ask for help, he is hard, he can do everything, and in any case he won’t admit to weakness. But a humble guy – yes. Humility reminds us of our weakness, of our fragility, of our mistakes, to remember that we need all the help we can get from God and from others. Therefore, we are not afraid to kneel and pray. Give your friends and family to the Lord, ask the spiritual father for help and advice, seek help from others, see a doctor. Of course, being humble doesn’t mean being crying. I can be, and even are, situations where I have to be strong, principled, clear and firm in my opinions and decisions. It is only important that these are not based on me, but on the Lord. Sv. Paul clearly says, “I can do everything in him that strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

The fifth (but not the last) pitfall of humility is the belief that I have to understand everything. We know when someone asks us, “please don’t do this”. I don’t know why I shouldn’t do it, I see no obstacle. It is not a sin, I will not harm anyone, so I will. But the one who asked me is hurt by my deed. But I don’t know why. After all, what bad did I do? When the other man reveals himself and tells him why it hindered him, I am extremely sorry that I hurt him, but I add immediately, “Why didn’t you say it, I wouldn’t have done it if I knew it!” But he said -Do not do it. Why wasn’t that enough? So if someone asks me for something that I don’t quite understand, what do I do? Will I find out the cause, or accept it out of love for him to grant the request? Of course,