Well, it is late and I can’t sleep. Another night of having ideas come to me. Important things that keep me up. I will quickly write them down, so I can sleep. I need to hear these things after an evening of an interaction with my family that wasn’t as useful as it could have been. If I am minimizing here, you are correct.
Humility is key to any growth. A wise man said, “The humble make progress.” Is there any time in my life where I have made progress without it. No. I can’t think of any.
The phrase, “The end of myself is the beginning of the Grace of God,” comes to me this evening. I have been pondering it awhile. You see, I have to come to the end of myself to make progress it seems. I have to run out of my ideas of what is right or wrong and my theories. But understanding is not enough. I don’t have the power to change some things in my life. Addiction is one clear example of how powerless we really are. If you haven’t experienced addiction, good for you. But those who have can testify that they really are powerless to stop. The paradox is that they have to come to the end of themselves to say that. Those who still feel that they are in charge and in control–that these are simple choices that they make, can’t say they are powerless over alcohol, sex, spending, gambling, overeating, and certain emotions. Maybe they aren’t addicted. But if they are and don’t know it, admitting powerlessness is like stepping down. Stepping downward from the belief that they have the power to change themselves.
Humility is coming to the end. It is the bottom in many ways.
Humility is realizing that one cannot stop.
Humility is running out of steam.
Humility is realizing that we are human, we are from the ground, humus. It is a proper understanding of who and where we really are.
Humility is understanding that one is afflicted with sin, just like everyone else.
The humble are not shocked when they sin. I don’t mean that they aren’t remorseful. No. But the humble are not shocked at their mistakes and sins for they undestand the illness that afflicts them. They understand that when something amazingly good happens, it is by the Grace of God and not anything in themselves.
The humble are not shocked when someone else sins. They do not judge. There is no sense of “how could they do that?” for they understand and experience the phrase, “But for the Grace of God, there go I.”
The humble are not attached to their own ideas, because they understand that their thinking is flawed and needs correction.
The humble and meek are exalted and receive the Grace of God. (The Gospel of Luke, Mary the Mother of Jesus says this after receiving word that she will bear the Son of God) She emptied herself and her life, thus giving us Jesus who gives us eternal life. If we empty ourselves out of pride, control and arrogance, we will have Christ formed in us.
Most of us are humbled rather than living in humility. We are humbled at an offense, a slight, and something not going the way we want. Perhaps not everyone is humbled, but the opportunity is certainly there. Illness is a great opportunity for humility. We can bearly move, or breath or think when we are sick. We can see that if we do anything great, we understand that it is and is only by the Grace of God.
So, I must decrease so He can increase.
God help us all.
Erik
The Addiction Counselor 