“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you’re looking down, you can’t see something that’s above you.”
~ C.S. Lewis
Don’t let pride hobble your point of view
June 10, 2016 | 13 comments
Spiritual ideas that inspire healing
Love this
It’s a blessing to be humble and pure at heart. A humble person is always a happy person. Pride takes away happiness and leads to misery and seclusion.
Instead of looking down on things and people its best to look up to God and see everyone as God sees – perfect and good.
Thanks Evan for the lovely inspiration.
Nice timing Evan as I have recently find it easy to look down rather than keeping my thoughts spiritually minded.
Thank You for this, Evan! I was thinking about how I was raised in C.S. to think that WE had the Answer – we were Right and Everyone Else somehow just weren’t quite right, unless they were C.Sers. I felt that I was trained to use Christian Science as my Identity…….so even if I didn’t really know who I was as a person or a human being, at least I could say I was a Christian Scientist and feel good about that. It caused me to separate myself from Others of other Religions, to look down on them and to feel like I had to try and convert them to Christian Science. YUK!! Truly, pride was hobbling my point of view! A good prayer I’ve learned to use is: “God, help me to see this differently.”
I’m sorry to hear you were misled about Christian Science as a youngster. I had a very good experience and many wonderful memories of all the healing I experienced from practicing this amazing truth, all the love I found in church, all the loving church members that supported my family and me and all the fellowship that came from being part of a special church family. And I also learned over the years that everyone has truth in them. It’s not a matter of what church you go to, but your connection with God.
I know everyone has a different experience, in any religion, depending upon their circumstances, but I want my readers to know there are some very good experiences being had with CS. When Christian Science is understood and practiced, the blessings are immense and on-going.
And you are correct, there is no room for self-righteous pride in its practice!
a good & worthy reminder!
In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis has devoted a whole chapter to pride.
SpiritView-ers may find these snippets interesting:
“According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness,
and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to
every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”
He goes on … “each person’s pride is in competition with every one else’s pride. … Pride is essentially competitive- …
Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.
Lewis adds … “Nearly all those evils in the world which people put down to greed or selfishness are really far more
the result of Pride. … “power is what Pride really enjoys: there is nothing makes a man feel so superior to others
as being able to move them about like toy soldiers.”
He continues … “We must not think Pride is something God forbids because He is offended at it, or that Humility is
something He demands as due to His own dignity- … He is not in the least worried about His dignity. The point is,
He wants you to know Him: wants to give you Himself. And He and you are two things of such a kind that if you really
get into any kind of touch with Him you will, in fact, be humble- … He is trying to make you humble in order to make
this moment possible: trying to take off a lot of silly, ugly, fancy-dress in which we have all got ourselves up and are
strutting about …
Lewis admits … “I wish I had got a bit further with humility myself: if I had, I could probably tell you more about the
relief, the comfort, of taking the fancy-dress off—getting rid of the false self … and all its posing and posturing. To get
even near it, even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in the desert.”
Thank you for your response to my Comment, Evan! And thank you for responding in such a way that shows how it’s different individual experiences that color one’s perception of the Religion they were raised in. I’m so glad you had such wonderful experiences being raised in Christian Science, and wonderful healings, too! You have much to be Grateful for! I think this relates to what was brought up yesterday about how there needs to be a lot of improvement in how C.S. is practiced, for it to be effective and to go forward. I have been working for years to try and separate my individual experience from the teachings of Christian Science and it’s been very difficult. I’m just Grateful that I have managed to retain some of the Good that is available in the study of Christian Science, even if I haven’t been able, yet, to completely heal the split in me. Thanks again for all the Good that you are doing! Much Love!
Thank you Evan for this wonderful message concerning false pride.Slowly over the years when I meet people of other faiths I am learning to say “Thank you Father that they worship you as the only true God” whatever their beliefs may be. To those who profess to be atheists “Thank you Father for your loving care for all your children.”
I still have a ways to go to cover all areas but it gets easier everyday when seeing how much love and caring is poured forth by all those around.
Very thought provoking !he also can’t see what is in front of him either,or I plain sight!
Very thought provoking He also can’t see what is in front of him either,or In plain sight!!
Thank you Evan for this wonderful message.. I appreciate comments from all but especially loved your comments relative to peple of other faiths and the “thank yous” from Dorothy. So grateful for this blog.
President John F. Kennedy said “Think not what your country (C/S) can do for you but always think what you can do for your country (C/S). Enough said about being humble and not let the pride of matter enter consciousness.