Self-Rejection Is Spiritually Dangerous

“You are my son, whom I love. With you I am well-pleased.” - Mark 1:11

As we’ve reflected on humility this week, it seems like one of the key elements is being able to accept yourself as God’s beloved. Slow down today and reflect on the Father’s words to the Son, written above. Then take a few minutes to listen to what the Spirit would say to you from this old saint:

One of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life is self-rejection. When we say, “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me,” we choose the road toward darkness. Often we are made to believe that self-deprecation is a virtue, called humility. But humility is in reality the opposite of self-deprecation. It is the grateful recognition that we are precious in God’s eyes and that all we are is pure gift. To grow beyond self-rejection we must have the courage to listen to the voice calling us God’s beloved sons and daughters, and the determination always to live our lives according to this truth.

- Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey