A Gracious Place

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Humility the Road to Pleasure

As is the case with much of what Christianity has to say, "humility the road to pleasure", seems backwards. In fact that whole last statement from the Lewis quote below seems upside down and contradictory. Obedience shouldn't lead to freedom, isn't obedience oppressing? Unity should not lead to personality or identity. Don't you "lose yourself" by being unified? But "humility the road to pleasure" is especially what caught my attention. I have been reading (over and over again) one of Jonathan Edwards sermons on envy, so before you give me too much credit this is what I have learned from Lecture VI in "Charity and it's Fruits". I realized the other day just how miserable envy makes me! How often I cherish and entertain my envious thoughts, thinking they will somehow comfort or soothe my aching pride. I think that somehow other's prosperity infringes on my happiness and that if they would be less prosperous I would be one up and therefore happier. Being of the female gender, (If you thought this was Dan writing you are confused right now:-)) one thing that causes us to be envious of each other is our housing situation; big apt., vaulted ceilings, new house, etc. So the other day when my friend called and said that this weekend she and her husband were going house shopping I expected to have that uncomfortable, uneasy, dissatisfied feeling i.e. envy. But something strange happened instead I was rejoicing with her, really excited for them, hoping the best. I hung up the phone and wondered what had just happened. I was confused. Why I did I feel so happy? I realize now that it was a glimpse of heaven. When I am envious I am actually identifying with Satan, I am feeling the misery of hell! But when I rejoice with those who are rejoicing, that is Christ in me, my joy is multiplied and I taste heaven. Lewis is right, humility is the road to pleasure!