Article March 27, 1926 Issue

Humility

ANNA JULIET LIPPMAN

Humility, our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, tells us in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 354), "is the first step in Christian Science." It is a step that is at once vital and necessary to our growth Spiritward. Humility opens our thought to divine Love, that love may permeate our whole existence. Humility forms a platform on which we may build a perfect superstructure of faith and spiritual understanding.

And what is it to be truly humble? One may say, Oh, I am always humble; I never flatter myself into believing that I am good enough to be called a child of God; I never think that I am good enough to enter into His presence! Such a one needs to be awakened; humility does not grovel. He needs to learn the grand truth revealed in Christian Science that man is, was, and ever will be the child of God, and that man can be only in the divine presence, since there is no place where God is not present. The truly humble endeavor honestly and earnestly to understand this great fact; and also strive to realize that no one possesses an iota of power to think or act that is not derived from God. The great Master, Christ Jesus, was the highest exponent of this humility. He demonstrated, without a single failure, God's omnipotent law of spiritual power over every false condition, even raising himself from the grave; yet he said, "I do nothing of myself." By his works he taught the might of true humility.

Real meekness is never sluggish or apathetic; on the contrary, it is constantly active and alert. We sometimes hear the remark, "I can never join a Christian Science church because I know that I shall never be good enough." Those who speak thus are using the cloak of false humility to cover up a sense of mental apathy. Nothing can hinder a student's gaining an ever greater understanding of the Bible and our Leader's writings if he humbly and honestly seeks after it. Through self-abnegation and obedience to the teachings of Christian Science he will soon gain the goodness that he thinks so difficult to attain.

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