Reading for Jan 30, 2008

Today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict http://www.osb.org/rb/

Chapter 7: On Humility

The second degree of humility
is that a person love not his own will
nor take pleasure in satisfying his desires,
but model his actions on the saying of the Lord,
"I have come not to do My own will,
but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38).
It is written also,
"Self-will has its punishment,
but constraint wins a crown."



It is good for me, Lord, that Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn Thy righteous judgements, and may cast away all haughtiness of heart and all presumption.
Thomas a Kempis

Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division.
Robert C. Chapman

Obedience is the road to freedom, humility the road to pleasure, unity the road to personality.
C.S. Lewis

The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life.
A.W. Tozer

Be desirous, my son, to do the will of another rather than thine own.
Thomas a Kempis

How great victory was that which Jonathon must have gained over himself, when he rejoiced to see David raised above him! He discerned the mind of God in David, and had so learned to delight in God, that he did not see in David one who was to outshine him, but another faithful man raised up for God and Israel.
Robert C. Chapman

God created the world out of nothing, and so long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.
Martin Luther

After all, man knows very little, and may some day learn enough of his own ignorance to fall down and pray.
Henry Adams

Pride is at the bottom of a great many errors and corruptions, and even of many evil practices, which have a great show and appearance of humility.
Matthew Henry

Make mine kneeling, for thus I came to glory.
Oliver Cromwell, while looking at statues of great men.

The sufficiency of my merit is to know that my merit is not sufficient.
Augustine

Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility.
Charles Finney

Grant me prudence to avoid him that flattereth me, and to endure patiently him that contradicteth me.
Thomas a Kempis

Should you ask me what is the first thing in religion, I should reply that the first, second, and third thing therein is humility.
Augustine

Many ask good questions with a design rather to justify themselves than inform themselves, rather proudly to show what is good in them than humbly to see what is bad in them.
Matthew Henry

Humility is the proper estimate of oneself.
Charles Spurgeon

People who regard themselves as invalids rather than heroes will make excellent missionaries.
Daniel Fuller