Humble

“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” (Genesis 4:8).

Cain and Abel (Keith Vaughan)

My biggest sin I the sin of pride.  A lot of truly terrible things happen in my life because I am a proud woman.  There is a difference – I know – between a healthy sense of self-worth and empty, sinful pride.  You see, if I have a healthy sense of self-worth, then I recognise that I am a child of God and as such I expect to be respected and treated in a way that enables me to maintain my human dignity.  This is not to say that people never disregard this dignity of mine, but rather that when they do, if I have adequate self-worth, then I can see this as a reflection of them rather than of me.  However, when I am governed by pride – which is a sin – I tend to see the actions of others through my own lens.

There is a psychological term – narcissism – that is generating a lot of interest and attention these days.  People are – of course – using this term incorrectly.  Narcissus was believed to be a demi-god in Ancient Greece.  This man was so beautiful that he accidentally fell in love with his own reflection and spent eternity fixated on his own image – according o Ancient Greek myth.  These days we attribute this extreme fixation on oneself and an inability to empathise with others – as a medical illness called narcissism.  In this extreme form, it is really just another expression of pride and self-love.

This is the opposite of our faith.  We are called to humility.  We are called to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR… (Matthew 22:39).

And I have been thinking about this.  Each time I feel slighted or humbled by someone, it is very likely a sign that my pride has grown out of control.  And there is so much damage that can happen with overgrown pride.  I can commit the sin of Cain against Abel.  Cain felt slighted by God and experienced jealousy against his brother.  It was as a result of this jealousy that Cain became so enraged that he murdered his brother – the first murder…

“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is [d]for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” (Genesis 4:3-8).

All of this was likely driven by his belief in his own self-importance.  Here Cain thought that his offering deserved more attention, gratitude and love than the offering of Abel.  And this was not only completely unmerited, but also completely wrong.  While Cain gave what was left, Abel gave from the BEST of his flock…

And it occurs to me today that so many times when my pride is offended, it is because I have not given the best of my flock and instead, I have given the minimum and I really know that the sin is mine…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.