How To Overcome Pride With Humility (Friday, July 2)

The Word of the Day is "received." Today, in our daily scripture study of 1 Corinthians 4:5-8, we reflect on how we can overcome pride that divides us with humility that unites us.

              It takes the spiritual gift of discernment to recognize the difference between what comes from our own ego and what comes from the Spirit of Christ. What comes from our ego bolsters our pride. But what comes from Christ engenders our humility. Pride divides us from others. But in humility, we can be united with others in love and mutual caring for one another.

In our reading, St. Paul sternly rebukes the boasting of the Corinthians. Their judgments of each other are not merely causing disagreements among them but driving a wedge between them. And they are wielding their supposed superior wisdom and knowledge against one another. But St. Paul pulls out their pride by the roots. He asks, who has planted the divisions among you? "Who is making you differ from one another?" (1 Cor. 4:7). And then he digs up the root of their divisions. "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7).

WHAT WE HAVE IS CAUSE FOR HUMILITY

At the beginning of his letter, the apostle said,  "…you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge" (1 Cor. 1:5). And in chapter 3 he added, "… all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come – all are yours" (1 Cor. 3:22). And he went on, "And you are Christ's and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. 3:24). Reflect on the abundance of blessings that God has bestowed upon you, and let gratitude fill your hearts.

GOD HAS ALREADY SUPPLIED THEM WITH EVERY BLESSING

Paul has pointed out that the Corinthians are called to be Christ's own and that He has already supplied His own with every blessing. But the problem is that the Corinthians claim even more than God gives. They are bragging that they have acquired even loftier wisdom and knowledge, even more incredible blessings, even more immense riches, and even higher kingship (1 Cor. 4:8).

But they have not received these supposed better things from Christ. Their own ego has deceived them into thinking they are on a higher spiritual level than others. But this claim has caused bitter conflicts in the Corinthian congregation. When one pretends to be better than others, they will respond with their own claims of superiority. So begins a vicious cycle of allegation and recrimination driven by pride. Each side will define itself by its contrast with the others in knowledge, spiritual gifts, and status before God. And each side will choose a champion of its arrogance. As Paul puts it, "You are puffed up on behalf of one against the other" (OSB vs. 6).

HUMILITY IS THE ONLY WEAPON AGAINST PRIDE

Against such pride, there is only one recourse: humility. Humility will not think of itself as different from others. Humility will not go beyond what is written in the scriptures. Humility will not think it is already "full," that is, "satisfied" (Strong's #2880). It will not think of itself as spiritually rich. Humbleness will not believe it already reigns with Christ in the kingdom of God (OSB vs. 8).

In summary, humility will realize that whatever wisdom, knowledge, spiritual gifts, and blessings it possesses, it has received.

FOR REFLECTION

The Lord said, "You will know them by their fruits (NKJV Matthew 7:1). One test of spiritual attainment is peace. Those who are truly advanced in the Spirit have peace of mind and share the peace of God. St. Anatoly of Optina said, "Wherever God is — there is peace. And the opposite is self-evident: where there is envy, enmity, impatience, self-love — there is the devil. Wherever the devil is — there, everything is ruinous, proud, and hostile."[i] We see the prime example of these fruits of the devil in the prideful and divisive behavior of the Corinthians.

ATTAINING PEACE IN THE WAY OF ST. ANATOLY

How do we attain peace? We put aside all that St. Anatoly lists as signs of pride, hostility, and destructiveness. And we acquire the virtue of contentment. Such peace of mind comes when we open our hands to receive whatever God wills to give us and when we open our hearts to receive nothing but Him.

This serene attitude is in contrast to the ceaseless quest to have and hold by our own efforts. It is the opposite of the claim that we have achieved what we have through our own works or worthiness.

To gain contentment, we might reflect on the truth that the Lord has given us whatever wisdom, knowledge, and blessings we have. Moreover, He has promised to supply whatever we need for eternal life and salvation. In this peace of mind and heart we can cultivate the virtues of humility and gratitude and root out pride from our hearts. So, let us reflect on the abundance of blessings that the Lord continues to give us and, in humility, share this riches of grace with others.  

[i] St. Anatoly of Optina, quoted from Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of the Holy Elders of Optina.