Saturday, 2nd Week: Self-Rejection Saps The Spiritual Life

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love ... He does not deal with us according to our sins, not repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him." Psalm 103:8, 10-11

We all have our secrets; thoughts, memories, feelings that we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I feel or think, they would not love me." These carefully kept secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.

One of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life is self-rejection. When we say, "If people really knew me, they wouldn't love me," we choose the road toward darkness. Often we are made to believe that self-deprecation is a virtue, called humility. But humility is in reality the opposite of self-deprecation. It is the grateful recognition that we are precious in God's eyes and that all we are is pure gift. To grow beyond self-rejection we must have the courage to listen to the voice calling us God's beloved sons and daughters, and the determination always to live our lives according to this truth.

"What helps you to realize that you are precious in God's eyes?"

Henri Nouwen