Humility Is the Truth 谦卑是真理

[Dexu Xia]

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

Reflecting one day on why God values humility so highly, sixteenth-century believer Teresa of Avila suddenly realized the answer: “It is because God is the supreme Truth, and humility is the truth. . . . Nothing good in us springs from ourselves. Rather, it comes from the waters of grace, near which the soul remains, like a tree planted by a river, and from that Sun which gives life to our works.” Teresa concluded that it’s by prayer that we anchor ourselves in that reality, for “the whole foundation of prayer is humility. The more we humble ourselves in prayer, the more will God lift us up.”

Teresa’s words about humility echo the language of Scripture in James 4, where James warned of the self-destructive nature of pride and selfish ambition, the opposite of a life lived in dependence on God’s grace (vv. 1–6). The only solution to a life of greed, despair, and constant conflict, he emphasized, is to repent of our pride in exchange for God’s grace. Or, in other words, to “humble yourselves before the Lord,” with the assurance that “he will lift you up” (v. 10).

Only when we’re rooted in the waters of grace can we find ourselves nourished by the “wisdom that comes from heaven” (3:17). Only in Him can we find ourselves lifted up by the truth.

How does pride hinder true prayer and experience of God’s grace? How have you experienced the freedom of humility through prayer?

Loving God, thank You for the gift of life with You. Thank You that I don’t need to be more than I am. Thank You that in You I find all that I need and more.

务要在主面前自卑，主就必叫你们升高。—雅各书4章10节

十六世纪的圣女大德兰（Teresa of Avila）某天在思想上帝何以如此看重谦卑时，突然领悟到了答案：“上帝是至高无上的真理，而谦卑就是真理……。没有任何美善是出于我们自己，一切的美善都来自恩典的泉源，心灵靠近这所在，就会像一棵树栽在溪水旁；美善也来自那使我们的服事充满活力的真光。”大德兰总结道，“正是透过祷告，我们才能牢牢地记住这个事实，因为祷告的根基就是谦卑。我们愈是在祷告中谦卑自己，上帝就愈会高举我们。”

大德兰这番关于谦卑的论述，与雅各书第4章所言相呼应。雅各提出警告，骄傲和私欲最终会带来自我毁灭，这与倚靠上帝恩典而活的生命迥然不同（1-6节）。他强调，要摆脱充满贪婪、绝望和冲突的生命，唯一的方法就是悔改，弃绝自己的骄傲，好得着上帝的恩典。换句话说，就是要“在主面前自卑”，并确信“主就必叫你们升高”（10节）。

我们唯有在恩典的泉源中扎根，才能因这“从上头来的智慧”而得着滋润（3章17节）。唯有在祂里面，我们才能因上帝的真理而被升高。

骄傲如何阻碍我们祷告和经历上帝的恩典？
你曾如何藉着祷告经历谦卑带来的自由？

慈爱的上帝，谢谢祢赐给我有祢同在的生命。
谢谢祢，让我不必勉强自己成为一个什么样的人，
祢让我在祢里面得着一切所需，并超乎我所求所想。