Wednesday, August 2, 2023

John of the Cross

For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you

Romans 12:3

John of the Cross states the following:

“Beginners in the spiritual life are apt to become very diligent in their exercises. The great danger for them will be to become satisfied with their religious works and with themselves. It is easy for them to develop a kind of secret pride, which is the first of the seven capital sins. Such persons become too spiritual. They like to speak of ‘spiritual things’ all the time. They become content with their growth. They would prefer to teach rather than to be taught. They condemn others who are not as spiritual as they are. They are like the Pharisee who boasted in himself and despised the publican who was not as spiritual as he.’”

Yesterday, we referred to the reason for the “dark night of the soul.” This is the place where God seems far away from you, to produce the good and prevent some bad vices. One of those vices that we can avoid, by going through this season, is spiritual pride.

I know that we all either know someone with spiritual pride or we have encountered this ourselves. This pride can be birthed from a place where we feel God is always at our fingertips. Thus, God sometimes distances himself from us so we are less likely to become ensnared by this vice.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me always walk in humility. Let me not take your presence as affirmation that I know everything or that my relationship with you trumps your relationship with others.

Foster, R. J., & Smith, J. B. (2005). Devotional classics: Selected readings for individuals and groups. HarperSanFrancisco.