2533 Self-knowledge.... arrogance - humility....

November 1, 1942: Book 33

These are the signs of the confusion of human thinking, that everyone believes he is living a God-pleasing way of life and therefore makes no effort to perfect himself. The right way of life must show a certain humility, and the humble person will always strive to become worthy of God's love and grace; he will never believe that he is as pleasing to God, because humility shows him the great distance between him and God. But anyone who lacks humility is still far from godliness, because he also lacks grace.... The humble person asks for grace, and thus he will also receive it, he asks for God's help on his path through life, he asks for help to attain maturity of soul, he feels weak and incapable on his own and thus requests God's grace in prayer.... And God gives His grace to the humble.... But he who is arrogant in spirit believes himself to be close to God without being so, he does not recognize the distance from Him and therefore does not try to reduce it either; he does not see his shortcomings and faults and therefore does not try to remedy them either; and since he does not feel weak, he does not ask for grace either. And so he will come away empty-handed because grace can only be granted to him if he desires it. And that is why there will be no spiritual progress where all self-knowledge is lacking because people do not take their spiritual development seriously. They will not strive for something they believe they possess and they believe they possess it because they are not true and honest with themselves. For if the desire for truth is strongly developed in them, they will give an account of their actions and thoughts to themselves, and they will recognize their shortcomings and mistakes and thus attain humility. For a person becomes humble when he takes a hard look at himself and considers his spiritual poverty.... But then God is also ready with His grace, because it is now consciously requested by the humble person, and only then will he lead a God-pleasing way of life....

Amen

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