Humility Is the Truth

<p>Reflecting one day on why God values humility so highly, sixteenth-century believer Teresa of Avila suddenly realized the answer: &ldquo;It is because God is the supreme Truth, and humility is the truth . . . nothing good in us springs from ourselves. Rather, it comes from the waters of grace, near which the soul remains, like a tree planted by a river, and from that Sun which gives life to our works.&rdquo; Teresa concluded that it&rsquo;s by prayer that we anchor ourselves in that reality, for &ldquo;the whole foundation of prayer is humility. The more we humble ourselves in prayer, the more will God lift us up.&rdquo;</p> <p>Teresa&rsquo;s words echo the language of Scripture in James 4, where James warned of the self-destructive nature of pride and selfish ambition, the opposite of a life lived in dependence on God&rsquo;s grace (vv. 1&ndash;6). The only solution to a life of greed, despair, and constant conflict, he emphasized, is to repent of our pride in exchange for God&rsquo;s grace. Or, in other words, to &ldquo;humble yourselves before the Lord,&rdquo; with the assurance that &ldquo;he will lift you up&rdquo; (v. 10).</p> <p>Only when we&rsquo;re rooted in the waters of grace can we find ourselves nourished by the &ldquo;wisdom that comes from heaven&rdquo; (3:17). Only in Him can we find ourselves lifted up by the truth.</p>