Dearest fellow lamb,
As you may be familiar with the story of the fall of Satan, we understand that it was his pride that ultimately led to his destruction. Quite honestly, I don’t blame him. Pride is the easiest sin to commit. It’s the root of self-indulgence, or in other words, the thing that feeds our flesh. We know how easy it is to fall into worldly things, which makes humility one of the hardest virtues to attain. That is why I’m writing this letter to you - to reflect on how important humility is in the journey of self-denial.
I was 13 when I first began wishing to leave home. I hated my household, and to this day I still struggle to honour my parents. My house felt like a dictatorship, and on top of that, my mother yelled words at me that made me feel unworthy and underserving of her love. My dad, on the other hand, gave me the silent treatment. While I couldn’t escape the harsh words of one parent, I longed for the other’s validation.
Now, I won’t go into details of what they’ve done but I was simply a kid who wanted love from their parents. The only way I could even feel some sort of connection was by yelling at them. That only led me to crying my heart out to God, asking Him to get me out of my situation so that I wouldn’t have to keep breaking the fourth commandment. Yet God didn’t remove me of my struggles. Instead, He told me to be more humble.
Of course I disliked it at first. My emotions were all over the place. I struggled not because I didn’t want to be humble but because I knew no matter how much I tried to be, they still wouldn’t change. Whether I talked back or spoke nicely, my mother would still be angry. I questioned God: how do I genuinely remain humble when I get the same result either way?
Read Genesis 38 for context:
Well, I recently read the story of Judah and Tamar, and what intrigued me was that despite what Tamar did to Judah, he said that she was more righteous that he was. Judah simply didn’t keep his promise of marriage between her and his third son, and Tamar slept with him, without him even realising it was her. Instead, he humbled himself, acknowledged his mistake, and declared her more righteous, as her actions were caused by his broken promise (although that shouldn’t justify her sin).
So if Judah can say that about Tamar, then I could do the same for my parents. See I learnt that my humility wasn’t meant to change my parents’ attitudes toward me. Instead, it is through my humility that genuine love and grace can be given to them as well. God taught me that I should extend the same grace He gives me to my parents. For I too am a sinner, and so are they. The world teaches us that love is providing it when they treat you well, when biblical love is choosing them despite how undeserving they may seem. That’s exactly how God is to all of us - an eternal loving God. No matter the weight of our sins, He gives us grace. That’s the good news of the gospel of Jesus, and that’s His death on the cross.
If pride is the root of all other sins, then humility is the soil that allows the fruits of the Spirit to grow within us. As Saint John Climacus states, “Humility is the only virtue that no devil can imitate.”
With love and humility, Venice Renee
