The humble and the proud

We have to know whether we are truly humble or are already treading the path of pride. Many of us do not know anymore which side of this issue we already are. Deceptive and illusive elements are so plenty that we really need to discern which is which.

One way is to examine how we think about this particular issue. The humble usually thinks he is proud, and so continues to find ways to grow in humility. The proud usually thinks he is already humble, and so seals his pride and even worsens it.

The humble person keeps a low profile while doing his best to fulfill his duties. He likes to avoid attention and shun praise. His joy is the awareness that what he is doing is for God’s glory.

He is not afraid to make sacrifices. He welcomes them and even looks for them. He is also willing to let go of certain privileges. He is more concerned about duties than rights. He does things with pure intentions, without counting the cost and rewards. What he does is done always in gratis, with a heart filled with love.

The proud person likes to bask in the limelight, flaunting whatever he has, and even puffing up what he thinks is not up to par. He is obsessed with attention and praise. He is after his own glorification. God and others are mere props and means to achieve his own glorification. It’s an “I-me-mine” world for him.

Thus, he can also mimic some forms of piety, if the occasion requires it. He can appear humble and generous to others if it serves him. He is prone to expecting and even demanding privileges and entitlements. He is averse to making sacrifices. And if he does, it is for his pride and vanity.

The humble person is usually patient and tolerant without compromising the essential. He is willing to suffer the burdens of others, even to the point of becoming a martyr. He is quick to forgive others and even tries to find excuses for them.

The proud person is usually impatient, irritable, and hardly has any concern about the essentials in life and in faith. He distances from any occasion that will inconvenience him, although he likes to appear always as a hero. He is usually judgmental, a fault-finder. He likes to put down others to bring himself up.

The humble person hardly talks about himself. He only thinks of how he can give glory to God and serve others. He is self-effacing even if he happens to do a heroic act. He is always at peace and cheerful

The proud person does the opposite. Every chance he has to talk about himself, he grabs it. He is notoriously self-conscious. His mind and heart are usually in constant jumble, unable to sort out things properly.

We need to examine ourselves closely to see where we are in this particular issue.

Times are confusing, and it’s easy to be deceived, not so much by others as by our own selves.