6154 Humility.... arrogance....

January 4, 1955: Book 66

Humility is the surest way to reach God, arrogance, on the other hand, is the way that leads away from Him. For arrogance is the share of the one who once fell, who wanted to rule and no longer acknowledged God, who exalted himself above Him and thereby plunged into the deepest depth.... But humility acknowledges God and bows under Him.... it strives towards Him and does not feel worthy of His nearness.... And therefore a humble man finds God's pleasure, He bends Himself down to him and lifts him up, He gives him grace upon grace and continues to help him up.... And so you humans will now also understand that no arrogant person can ever reach the father because he erects a barrier between himself and God.... Although he does not believe himself to be below, he is convinced of his value, so that he can neither ask nor give thanks, both to God and to people.... he feels exalted and therefore goes empty-handed, for he does not ask for mercy nor does he make use of it if it is offered to him.... For he believes he does not need it. And in his arrogance he will therefore receive no grace either.... A humble child pleases the father, but a complacent one has no love for Him and therefore cannot claim the father's love either, which is expressed in the bestowal of grace.... But how rich is a humble person to whom God Himself draws near in His love and provides him with everything he needs.... In humility lies the recognition of God as creator and father from eternity.... In humility there is also the confession of past guilt.... A humble child feels endlessly distant from the father, and it recognizes, as it were, its imperfect state, its unworthiness to enjoy the father's nearness.... But a person who recognizes his guilt, his deficiency, seeks help and forgiveness. He will never arrogantly believe to be right or to walk right on earth.... he will always recognize his own inadequacy and therefore stretch out his hands imploringly to the father that the father may accept His child and have mercy on it.... Thus it recognizes God as its father from eternity, it inwardly turns away from the one who had dragged it down into the depths.... It wants to ascend again, and it will also reach its aim, for a humble person is richly endowed with grace which gives him strength on the way up.... to God, from Whom it once originated but misjudged Him and therefore sinned against God. A humble person will receive grace without measure, but an arrogant person must be denied grace until he relinquishes his arrogance, until he, too, humbly submits in the realization of his weakness and imperfection.... Only the path of humility leads to God.... Only the humble finds grace with Him, for he is close to the father's heart and inwardly fully confesses Him....

Amen

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