One of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life is self-rejection. When we say, "If people really knew me, they wouldn't love me," we choose the road toward darkness. Often we are made to believe that self-deprecation is a virtue, called humility. But humility is in reality the opposite of self-deprecation. It is the grateful recognition that we are precious in God's eyes and that all we are is pure gift. To grow beyond self-rejection we must have the courage to listen to the voice calling us God's beloved sons and daughters, and the determination always to live our lives according to this truth.
(With thanks to the Henri Nouwen Society)
Don't we so often need to hear this? I think sometimes the fact that people who are drawn to the contemplative side of the spiritual life tend to be introspective (INFP, if you will allow Myers Briggs typology), quiet sorts of people makes us more prone to this kind of corrosive internal negativity. Let us be grateful instead - God made us a bit weird, so let's listen to his call to happily accept, even celebrate, the way we are!
3 comments:
Mike, I was 'thinking about this just yesterday' (a conversation with the Lord, truth be known, not initiated by me), so this is something of a synchronious event - if not a reminder or a punctuation.
INFPs rule, ok =)
kelly
INFPs rule, yes!
Thank you Mike. That was yet another God-inspired quote.
Thank you, both. You confirm very much what God seems to have been laying on my heart - see the following post, An Order of Penitents?
I do love the way God works in these things, letting us see the connections under the surface - the threads behind the tapestry, if you will!
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