In Search of Loving Humility

“Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism.”

― Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)

If there were anything we could ever give for God,

Anything that might make him approvingly nod,

It would be to throw ourselves in to loving others,

That our joy would be in our sisters and brothers.

The project that is the pleasing of our Lord,

Our willingness to see our God adored,

Is fulfilled when we have addressed,

Our faults of character so he is impressed.

The honing of humility must be our goal,

To love at full tilt must be our role,

Brothers and sisters abound in our sight,

When we see love and when we see right.

Narcissism is sin’s seed truly at full steam,

But love and humbleness are life’s classic cream,

God wants to give us every little due,

But only through love are we made new.

***

Talking extremes helps us to clarify matters. There is a vast chasm filled with the ocean of life between the continents of loving humility and narcissism. We all battle narcissism, but at its extremes it is a sense of entitlement that leads us to exploit others, and in that we fail empathy’s test.

Empathy is a golden key to humility. It is inherently loving.

When we throw ourselves into love, because we have pointed our love toward others, we cannot help but become more humble. Our intention is beyond ourselves and into broader life perspectives.

Everything that we are and all we can be relies on our getting past ourselves. And we really need to be active in this. If we are not active the forces of life may well marry themselves to us. Because of our inaction we have most definitely acted.

The circumstances of life require a loving response. But if we are ill prepared to respond in loving ways, the circumstances of life will show that we have already decided.

Love is the way to please God. Through reconciliation and forgiveness and grace we have a way forward. What grows from love is goodness. And all sorts of fruit of the Spirit are manifest as a result of tirelessly attempting to please God through love. In love we are certainly blessed by a multiplicity of love.

***

By loving other people we have the secret to approaching God with honour, having pleased him. Loving other people is the best self-protection we can have. Loving other people comes to be a real source of wisdom.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.