Self-Esteem That Harms the Soul

By Saint Theophan the Recluse (+1894)

 

 

Watch yourselves! Progress in the spiritual life is marked by an ever-increasing awareness of our own nothingness. Conversely, the more we begin to think highly of ourselves, the closer we move toward destruction. The enemy will take advantage of this. He will approach and attempt to throw a little stone in our path to make us stumble. A soul that attaches importance to itself resembles the crow in Aesop’s fable, which, upon hearing the fox’s flattery about its “beautiful” voice, opened its beak and dropped the cheese…

How beneficial it would be if someone were to criticize you! Rejoice if this ever happens. It is very dangerous for everyone to praise you and for no one to tell you the truth. Do you think it is difficult for someone to fall into delusion or to stumble? Are you far from considering yourself holy and worthy of advising others?

In Kiev, there was once an ascetic who practiced strict fasting and solitude. However, he was assailed by egotism and other passions. So he went and confessed his thoughts to the blessed Starets Parthenios. The Elder gave him some money and sent him to the marketplace, saying: “Buy some meat and eat it in front of others.” The ascetic followed the Starets’ advice, and all his temptations disappeared. This is how the Fathers fought against pride. You, too, should frequently examine yourselves in this regard. For it is no small calamity… They say that pride is a thief who lives inside the house. He often conspires with the thieves outside, opening doors and windows for them, and they enter and steal every treasure.

Strive, while associating with others and attending to worldly affairs, to think of God at the same time and to remain conscious that He is near you and guides you according to His holy will. In this way, you will not be distracted from your inner spiritual work. Distraction is the devil’s first success. His second success is the attachment of the heart to something earthly and the captivity of one’s feelings and thoughts to it. This is an even greater success for the enemy. Strive to free yourselves from every captivity of the heart and every distraction from your inner spiritual work. There is only one way: Never allow your attention to wander from the Lord or lose the awareness of His presence. Excesses never lead to anything good. The first step toward pride is vainglory, that is, the conviction that I am somebody. The second is conceit, that is, the sense that I am not merely somebody, but somebody important in the eyes of God and men.

From vainglory and conceit arise a multitude of proud thoughts, which are abominable to God. Self-knowledge and the experience of our own nothingness can help us here. Let us frequently recall our past faults and condemn ourselves for them.

Cultivate within yourselves the fear of God and reverence before His indescribable majesty. Have a broken and humbled heart. Consider everyone superior to yourselves. Love silence, solitude, and communion with the Lord, who will become your guide and teacher. Holy tears are a manifestation of divine mercy and a safeguard against spiritual dryness and the hardening of the heart. Do not despise them or drive them away. Sinful tears give rise to conceit, delight in ostentation, and soon pass away. When pride approaches you, drive it away and replace it with humility of mind and contrition.

There is no need for me to repeat that our impregnable fortress is humility. It is difficult to acquire. A person may consider himself humble and yet not possess a trace of it. The surest, or indeed the only, path to humility is obedience and the renunciation of one’s own will. Without these, a person may develop Luciferian egotism within himself, despite outwardly humble behavior and expressions of humility. Therefore, stop and ask yourselves whether you possess obedience and the renunciation of your own will.

Strive to acquire humility! Humility is the fragrance of Christ and the garment of Christ. For its sake, God will forgive everything. He will not examine the shortcomings of our spiritual struggle. Without humility, however, no ascetic effort can help us. Through humility of mind, a person can be saved. But without this ticket, he will not be permitted to enter Paradise, which is filled with the humble. Humility must form the foundation of your life, as it must for everyone who sincerely lives the life in Christ.

Struggle against yourselves with all your strength, and God will help you. Make it your aim to acquire “a broken spirit,” “a broken and a contrite heart” (Psalm 50:19). When these are present, it means that you are in a good spiritual state. Then you have God’s protection and help. Then your devotion to God is steadfast and your remembrance of Him unceasing…

 

Greek source:

https://imlp.gr/2026/10/14/%e1%bc%a1-%ce%b1%e1%bd%90%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%b5%ce%ba%cf%84%ce%af%ce%bc%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b7-%cf%80%ce%bf%e1%bd%ba-%ce%b2%ce%bb%ce%ac%cf%80%cf%84%ce%b5%ce%b9-%cf%84%e1%bd%b4%ce%bd-%cf%88%cf%85%cf%87%e1%bd%b4/