『[How Not to Miss God’s Voice] Day 21 – Walking Down the Mountain of Pride』のカバーアート

[How Not to Miss God’s Voice] Day 21 – Walking Down the Mountain of Pride

[How Not to Miss God’s Voice] Day 21 – Walking Down the Mountain of Pride

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 “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)Over the past few days, we have been emphasizing the vital importance of placing ourselves at the absolute lowest point in order to receive God’s voice and His wisdom. Yet, as we often discover in our spiritual journey, this is much easier said than done. It is incredibly easy to accept this concept in our minds, but it is deeply uncomfortable and profoundly hard to put it into practice in our daily lives.Pause for a moment and ask yourself: Why is it so hard?It is difficult because, deep down in our minds, we don’t truly believe we are that lowly! We don't feel we deserve to be placed at the bottom! In fact, human nature dictates that we desire to be respected. We want others' attention and recognition, and we have an insatiable thirst to be validated and valued. As Pope Francis reminded us, the proud person is one who thinks he is much more than he really is, always wanting his own merits recognized. That underlying desire makes it excruciatingly hard to empty ourselves to a point below our own perception of who we are.This struggle is especially hard for people who have been doing all the right things—those who perform the correct external religious practices and have built up a strong “religious resume.” When we do good deeds, serve in the parish, or pray daily, a subtle pride can creep in. We begin to believe that we do not need to obtain help from others in our moral and spiritual lives, not even from God! We believe we can handle life using our own strength, all by ourselves. Jesus dealt with many proud people who hid their pride very well behind religious observance.But remember the spiritual law Jesus revealed to us, which we touched upon on Day 17: “The one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” (Luke 7:47)This brings us to a harsh but liberating truth. Unless we really admit from the bottom of our hearts that we are weak, broken, and absolutely nothing without God; unless we realize that it is only by His grace that we are not hopeless sinners; unless we acknowledge that we are totally dependent on Him and can accomplish nothing without Him—that we cannot even survive one moment without His sustaining breath—we will never be able to let go of our status and our position. After all, if Jesus didn’t come to redeem us, we would be condemned. We need God that much! Humility is the absolute foundation of our prayer; only when we realize we are beggars before God can we freely receive His grace.At the end of the day, how deeply you know and feel your need for Him determines how willing you are to step down to the lowest point. This willingness is the master key to unlocking the treasure of God’s Wisdom. Jesus gave us a clear warning and promise: “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)Unless we are willing to walk down from the mountain of our pride, we will never be able to truly and totally know, experience, and embrace God. Why? Because as long as we remain on that mountain, everything we do, say, or act will subconsciously shut Him out. We will have no real relationship with God, let alone an intimate one. God will have no place in our lives except for the moments we desperately need help. We risk turning the Almighty Creator into an "on-demand" service provider—someone we expect to show up only when we ring the bell.Take a deep breath. Are you holding onto your spiritual resume today? Are you secretly craving the applause of others? Jesus is inviting you to walk down the mountain. Step into the valley of humility. It is only there, in the quiet lowlands of total dependence, that you will meet Jesus face to face.Now, with a humble spirit, please meditate once again on the following exhortation of Jesus:“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)ReflectionHow deeply do I truly feel my daily, desperate need for God's forgiveness and presence?Do I secretly crave the attention and validation of others more than I desire to please God? In what specific ways have I treated God as an "on-demand" service provider rather than a loving Father?Where in my life am I relying on my "spiritual resume" instead of God's grace? What specific "mountain of pride" is Jesus inviting me to walk down from today?Today’s PrayerLord Jesus, I confess that it is incredibly hard for me to empty myself. I often cling to my pride, my desire for validation from others, and my self-righteous "spiritual resume."Forgive me for the times I have treated You merely as an "on-demand" service provider, rather than the Lord of my entire life.Grant me the grace to deeply realize my own weakness and brokenness. Without You, I am nothing; without Your redemption, I am without hope.Please take my hand and lead me down from the mountain of my pride. Help me ...
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