“…we must guard against thinking that a humble heart is easily acquired. Although we are attracted to humility, we should anticipate a battle in the soul. The cost of humility on Christ’s terms is an all-out fight against our self-serving pride and vainglory. The humility we perceive in Christ our God requires a lifelong dedication to putting to death our carelessness, arrogance, selfishness, and self-indulgence.” (OCPM 7/31/2017)
“Have you ever noticed how most truly humble people are not even aware they are humble? Achieving real humility is hard when we are self-aware that we want to be humble. You can subtly be prideful in your desire to be humble. Christ’s humility was a result of His complete focus and joy of doing the will of His father. Our humility is made manifest when we are not thinking of being humble, but simply living the sacramental life out of love for Christ. We then become humble over time and are not even aware of it.” (Sacramental Living Blog)
"Humility is so tricky because humility makes it impossible to think we are making any progress in humility." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
"Even if I seem to embrace very firm religious beliefs, my faith remains barren if I approach my day with self-reliance; if I lack the humility to seek God in daily prayer. Christ is a living and active presence in my life today, when I let Him in, through humility." (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin)
“We need not despair [in our struggle for humility], for the boastful Peter became a humble apostle, faithful to a martyr’s death, and the self-assured persecutor Saul became the Apostle Paul, first among sinners. Christ came “to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11). He will not abandon us in our struggle to gain a humble heart!” (OCPM 7/31/2017)
“True humility is a very elusive character trait…” (Life Application Study Bible, Titus 3:2)
“Have you ever noticed the irony that when you think you are humble or being humble, that the feeling of self-satisfaction of achieving some level of humility is actually prideful? It’s a good reminder that when it comes to ourselves, real humility is simply something we have without knowing it. If we are observing it about ourselves it’s a good bet we don’t have real humility.” (Sacramental Living Blog)
"We Christians are always bleating on about humility, yet hardly any of us have it. Perhaps we forget that humility is not merely a virtue to be admired, but one to be strived for. It is all very well praising saints and spiritual fathers for their great humility, but unless we make some effort to acquire humility ourselves, such praise will not get us very far." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
“Humility does not require that we think poorly of ourselves or that we be given over to self-loathing. Just as we must not exalt ourselves, we must not sink to a state of self-loathing, for both states have their basis in the ego.” (Abbot Tryphon)
“It is humiliating to realize that we need other people; we would like to be self-sufficient. It is humiliating to realize that we can’t find God unless God wants to be found; we would prefer it if He would be at our beck and call. But these humiliations are necessary if we are to make any progress at all.” (Michael Ward)
“Repentance is the cornerstone of a truly wisdom-filled life.” (Dynamis 7/9/2014)
“Only the action the Holy Spirit can bring us to the point of repentance and change. We do not awaken and repent; rather, it is God who brings us to repentance. He illumines our souls and sweeps away the dust of life, and only then does the thought arise that we should return to our Father. True repentance happens because God awakens us…” (Dynamis 2/16/2014)
“No matter how bitter and horrible we may feel, we need to turn to God and allow ourselves to receive His love and forgiveness that will transform us. As proof of this we know that many of the worst sinners …became the Church’s greatest saints. St. Paul...was a horrible persecutor of Christians, a blasphemer by his own admission, and a passive witness to murder…Peter denied Christ… John…was once ambitious, rash and judgmental, at one point wanting to destroy a whole town of people because they weren’t behaving right in his eyes…Moses and David both committed deliberate murder before their spiritual transformations. ” (Sacramental Living)
“To repent means to turn from sin, change the direction of your life from selfishness and rebellion against God... At the same time, you must turn to Christ, depending on Him for forgiveness, mercy, guidance, and purpose.” (Life Application Study Bible, Acts 2:38-39)
“Christ seeks to open the hearts of ... all of us…to the repentance preached by… Himself… The call to repent is the call to life, for it comes from Life Himself…He [Christ] calls us specifically to embrace a life of repentance…the life in Christ is a life of repentance.” (Dynamis 12/3/2014, 3/22/2014, 1/30/2014)
“Constant repentance renews our baptism as we grow in our relationship with God.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Romans 6:10)
"Repentant people realize that inexcusable wrong can either be judged or forgiven, never understood and overlooked, and so they beg for forgiveness with no thought of deserving it. Truly repentant people are the ones who begin to grasp God’s amazing grace, the ones who know that they need only confess to experience the forgiveness that is always there in infinite supply.” (Larry Crabb)
"[Repentance] means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into... It means killing part of yourself, under-going a kind of death." (C. S. Lewis)
“In English, the root of the word repentance is"penitence.” However, repentance in Christ is not merely a sorrowful act of personal recognition – a matter of hanging our heads in grief. Sorrow is only a first and minor part of the change….Let us not miss what is at stake in such repentance…In the original Greek, the word"repentance” appears as metanoia. Literally, this word means"to change the …deep center of the heart.” Repentance is thus to reform the inner core of ourselves.” (Dynamis 10/11/2014)
“…the Lord wants more from us than merely being sorry for our sins…the Lord asks everyone who comes to Him to pass through the door of repentance – to go beyond the"worldly sorrow” of feeling badly about our actions. He asks us to repent – to struggle against our sinful attitudes and actions. He wants a true and godly repentance.” (Dynamis 11/19/2014)
"The best thing about truly humble people is that they do not want power, prestige, or popularity. They are uncomfortable in the spotlight. Their attitude toward positions of power and influence is that they can take it or leave it.” (Joseph O'Day)
"The humble heart becomes a cross that we must take up in order to follow Christ…If our negative habits of heart remain unchecked and we give them free reign, they will destroy every semblance of humility within us.” (Dynamis 8/4/2014)
“…we must guard against thinking that a humble heart is easily acquired. Although we are attracted to humility, we should anticipate a battle in the soul. The cost of humility on Christ’s terms is an all-out fight against our self-serving pride and vainglory. The humility we perceive in Christ our God requires a lifelong dedication to putting to death our carelessness, arrogance, selfishness, and self-indulgence.” (Dynamis 8/4/2014)
"Pride results from overvaluing ourselves and undervaluing others. It leads to restlessness because it makes us dissatisfied with what we have and concerned about what everyone else is doing. It keeps us always hungering for more attention and adoration. By contrast, humility puts others first and allows us to be content with God’s leading in our lives. Such contentment gives us security so that we no longer have to prove ourselves to others.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalms 131:1-2
“....pride is a problem for everyone. No matter how virtuous a person may be, no matter how great his God-centered achievements may have been, he’s still human. Pride can creep in ever so silently, and one can lose his perspective on his relationship with God.” (NIV Men's Devotional Bible)
“There is an incompatibility between blind arrogance and the presence of God in our hearts. Proud people depend on themselves rather than on God. This causes God’s guiding influences to leave their lives. When God’s presence is welcome, there is no room for pride because he makes us aware of our true selves” ((Life Application Study Bible, Psalms 10:11)
“Pride makes us self-centered and leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch, or imagine. It creates greedy appetites for far more than we need.” (Life Application Study Bible, James 4:4-6)
"Pride comes in various forms. There is worldly pride: this is knowledge; and there is spiritual pride: this is self-love… Pride deprives us of God’s help, making us over-reliant on ourselves and arrogant towards other people." (St. Anatole of Optina, St. Thalassios the Libyan)
"Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger."'(C. S. Lewis)
“Pride is like a spiritual cancer. Unaddressed, it spawns envy. Unchecked, it consumes our hearts and minds.” (NIV Men's Devotional Bible)
"God wants and desires only one thing from us: our humbleness. He does not need anything else; just to humble ourselves, so He can make us partakers of His divine grace... He is only asking from us to humble ourselves and respond out of gratefulness and appreciation to His love. Thus, divine grace, which abides in us, will be activated and function accordingly. It will make us love God and get to know Him; it will do everything for us, if only we humble ourselves and allow for it to act. The only obstacle to the energy of God's grace is our pride, our lack of humility." (Elder Paisios of Mount Athos)
“Derived from the word humus, which means"of the earth” or earthiness, to have humility and to be humble is to remember that we are not God. Humility shifts the focus from ourselves to God and to service to others as the center of all things. When we have truly embraced humility, we find ourselves no longer wanting and striving after things, because we discover gratitude and contentment with things exactly as they are...“humility is a process of growth and always a journey.” (Alan Jones)
"The more pride we have, the more other people’s pride irritates us." (C.S. Lewis)
“Pride darkens the soul completely and leads to its utter downfall…It acts like some harsh tyrant who has gained control of a great city, and destroys it completely." (Abba Moses of Scetis)
"...humility is freedom from illusion. Humility is clear-sightedness.” (Bishop Basil Losten)"In our modern age this sin [pride/vainglory] and its corresponding virtue [humility] have become strangely inverted, for humility and meekness are despised while self-esteem and pride are exalted as salve for the psyche…If we do anything, no matter how trifling, with the goal of being observed by men, then vainglory will conquer us and separate us from the Lord.” (Dynamis 5/20/2014)
"Humility means proper respect for God, not self-deprecation.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalms 8:3-4)
"We must not think Pride is something God forbids because He is offended at it, or that Humility is something He demands as due to His own dignity—as if God Himself was proud. He is not in the least worried about His dignity. The"point is, He wants you to know Him: wants to give you Himself. And He and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any kind of touch with Him you will, in fact, be humble—delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy all your life.” (C. S. Lewis)
"The world…urges us to take pride in our accomplishments without a moment’s thought for God. We never stop to consider who gave us every ability, strength, and capacity that we possess…” (Dynamis 3/1/2014)
“Too often we take pride in our accomplishments, forgetting that it is God who has given us our resources and abilities. We may even become proud of our unique status as Christians. God is not pleased with any pride or trust in ourselves because it cuts off our contact with Him." (Life Application Study Bible, Isaiah 9:8-10)
“Some people try to give the appearance of humility in order to manipulate others. Others think that humility means putting themselves down. Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realize their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. On the other hand, they also recognize their gifts and strengths and are willing to use them as Christ directs. Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic self-assessment and commitment to serve.” (Life Application Study Bible, Luke 14:11)
“God is looking for people who can admit their needs and surrender to a Savior, because if the Bible is any indication, it doesn’t matter how messed up you are. If you love Him, He can and will use you.” (Jefferson Bethke)
“The humble person lives free of all pretense and self-deception. He sees himself as God sees him, with his virtues and his failures.” (Bishop Gerald Dino)
“It is a spiritual paradox that the closer one comes to God, the more unworthy one feels. Similarly, the further away one is from God, the more confident and self-assured (prideful) one feels.” (Clark Carlton)
“Although [King] Saul had been called by God and had a mission in life, he struggled constantly with jealousy, insecurity, arrogance, impulsiveness, and deceit. He did not decide to be wholeheartedly committed to God. Because Saul would not let God’s love give rest to his heart, he never became God's man." (Life Application Study Bible, 1 Samuel 9:21)
"Forgiveness does not stop the damage we unleash.” (Dynamis 12/16/2013)
“It is not enough to know what is right; we must also do it. Admit to yourself and to God that you frequently fail to live up to your own standards (much less to God’s standards). That’s the first step to forgiveness and healing.” (Life Application Study Bible, Romans 2:12-15)"When people finally understand how deeply they’re concerned about pleasing themselves and how little they care about pleasing God, they begin to fall on their knees in repentance and seek each other’s forgiveness.” (Gary Smalley and John Trent)
“Belittling criticism of others is another case of pride coming out in what we say...God's will is to love others with humility and mercy, even if they are in the wrong." (Orthodox Study Bible, James 4:11-12)
"God looks beyond our words and religious activities to see if our conduct backs up what we say, and He judges our words by the actions that accompany them...God has no use for people who call themselves Christians but who live otherwise… A changed life with new and different behavior makes your repentance real and visible.”(Life Application Study Bible, Matthew 3:6, 8, 9-10)
"…we must be watchful and guard against self-serving and resistance to the truth (2 Timothy 3:5)….May we humbly repent of our rationalizations, passions, and sins whenever they run counter to the truth.” (OCPM 12/8/015, Dynamis 4/29/2015)
“When we look upon pride as a force that will drive us to our destruction and upon humility as a virtue designed to make us right with God, for it teaches that all good comes from Him, then we will begin to travel along the road to a happy and blissful eternity. Humility is truth and pride tries to level untruth with the truth, which is utterly impossible.” (Rev. Robert E. Lucas)
"...repentance, like obedience, is rooted in humility. A proud person cannot repent, for repentance allows no room for ego and conceit. Pride blinds us to our own sins, while we go on hating those very same sins when we see them in others. Humility alone is capable of seeing the truth, of enabling us to see ourselves as we really are." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
“When we are self-centered, self-absorbed to the point where we are consumed with ourselves, there is no room for God and we are indeed empty and beyond all help because we can no longer even see or acknowledge the truth – all by our own choice.” (Sacramental Living)
"If pride is the sin that blinds us to reality, the passion that makes us think ourselves better than we really are, then humility is the virtue by which we see the truth." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
"Step by step, God reveals the source of sin. God's love is like a fire that consumes sin until only what is good remains. But without repentance, nothing good will remain.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Joshua 7:14-18)
“God is opposed to the proud and arrogant of every generation. But those who are lowly and humble, both physically and spiritually, will be rewarded because they trust in God. Self-reliance and arrogance have no place among God’s people or in His Kingdom.” (Life Application Study Bible, Zephaniah 3:11-12)
"Truly, God’s people are those who awaken to His presence, repent, and live as He wills. Such a change must occur deep within our hearts in answer to the Lord, regardless of whether we act as one person or as part of a couple or family…The life in Christ always involves repentance and returning to our Savior.” (Dynamis 11/16/2013)
“...repentance is a lifelong process, not a once-in-a-lifetime event. As long as we live in this world, our attention will be pulled back to creation, away from our Creator. Therefore, we must continually re-orient our lives toward God.” (Clark Carlton)
"The essence of sin is worshipping the created above the creator. The essence of our salvation is determined by our heart for God." (Sacramental Living)
"Humility is a powerful weapon. Evil has no use for it and is ultimately defeated by it." (Sr. Miriam James)
"Humility is having a healthy sense of where you stand before God and as a person. Being humble means realizing that God has given you gifts and talents and that you can do some things well.” (Abouna Justin Rose)
"The acceptance of God’s point of view for oneself is called humility, and humility is the cornerstone of truth for the Christian. If you insist on always being right, that is, if you insist on your own point of view, you are putting yourself out of God’s reach, since God will not force you to see things His way.” (Bishop John Michael Botean)
“True humility is …having God’s perspective on who you are and acknowledging His grace in developing your abilities.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:9.10)
“Everything we understand, see, perceive, and touch, and even beyond the sensible, is God's and from God. And yet, how often we view them as our own and from ourselves and our own efforts.” (Fr. Joseph Irvin)
“…God renews a person who truly is humble and repentant.” (Dynamis 9/12/2013)
"God appoints repentance as our way of life.” (Dynamis 10/17/2013)
"God wants the cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness to strengthen us, not weaken us. The lessons we learn from our failures should make us better able to handle the same situation the second time around. Because God is eager to give us cleansing, forgiveness, and strength, the only way to lose is to give up.” (Life Application Study Bible, Joshua 8:1)
“After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.” (C.S. Lewis)
“...every virtue springs from a natural knowledge in the heart, implanted there by the Father who created us” (William Langland)
“It happens, I do not how, that most of those who are proud never really discover their true selves. They think they have conquered their passions and they find out how poor they really are only after they die." (St. John Climacus)
“He [God] humbles us that He might help us find out what is inside our own heart… Testing and humbling are divinely provided as educational experiences that rouse our hearts to dependence on God. They heighten the acuity of our spiritual ears so that we become attentive to the word of God in all situations, in every temptation, and in every choice and decision.” (Dynamis 7/3/2013)
“How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious?...Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good—above all, that we are better than someone else—l think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you either forget about yourself altogether..." (C. S. Lewis)
“If we strive to live in humility, if we strive to live prayerfully, if we strive to follow the way of love, then we will have God's peace in our lives." (Fr. Joseph Irvin)
“To be humble does not mean to think myself worthless, or to think that I am of less value than is truly the case. Both of these are temptations, not virtues. No human being is worthless; we have been redeemed by the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We have each a unique vocation from God. Trying to be"humble” by pretending to think myself of lesser value than I really believe is nothing more than pride.” (Bishop Basil Losten)
“The meek are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger. Meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 5:5)
"When God gives us a greater abundance of grace, He expects us to grow in humility. We have no call to boast of our achievements, and still less do we have any right to judge other people; God will judge us all.” (Bishop Basil Losten)
“If we say we follow Christ, we must also say we want to live as he lived. We should develop his attitude of humility as we serve, even when we are not likely to get recognition for our efforts.” (Life Application Study Bible, Philippians 2:5-11)
“A good person is corrupted by wanting to do good—but to do it on his own terms, believing he knows what is right for everyone else. In Christian terms, this is the opposite of humility, and especially of that humility before God that allows us to be led and shaped by him in order to achieve the real purpose for which we were created.” (Stratford Caldecott)
“A life of continual repentance is called for, not because doing so earns one salvation, but because doing so is a cooperation with God so that He may bring salvation and personal transformation into every part of our humanity.” (Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick)
“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Jesus Christ)
“...growth in humility is the fulfillment of the Lord's will..." (St. John Climacus)
“Genuine humility is freedom from illusion." (Bishop Basil Losten)
“Both the rich and the poor can fall into the clutches of pride; while the one may be bedazzled by the glitter of his earthly possessions, the other may be beguiled by the nobleness of his suffering.” (Fr. Joseph Irvin)
"...the great spiritual battle of our time is not a struggle between believers and atheists. Rather, it is a struggle between pride and humility." (Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick)
“Jesus’ call to repent was more than merely a call to feel remorse or regret for our sins; it was a call to change our minds, to exchange our agenda for his; it was a call to reorder our lives in the face of God’s dramatic news that his kingdom was now available to all.” (Richard Stearns)
“When we repent, God promises not only to cleanse us of our sins but to bring spiritual refreshment.” (Life Application Study Bible, Acts 3:19,20)
“Repentance always bring blessings from the Lord...through repentance, life that was merely existence is transformed into real living—that is, living in faith, love, joy, and confident hope.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Act 3:26)
“God will use all repented evil as fuel for fresh good in the end." (C. S. Lewis)
“…by"repent,” I do not simply mean,"feel sorry for your sins and try to do better.” I mean"undertake the very painstaking, moment-in-and-moment-out work of changing your thinking, which is the root meaning of the New Testament word for repentance: metanoia.” Only by struggling to put on the mind of Christ is the Christian able to grow in the divine image in which she or he has been created.” (Bishop John Michael Botean)
“People often base their self-concept on their accomplishments. But our relationship with Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth or knowledge…Remember that your value comes from being one of God’s children, not from what you can achieve.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1 Peter 2:9,10)
"All human accomplishments will one day disappear; we must keep this in mind in order to live wisely. If we don’t, we will become either proud and self-sufficient when we succeed or sorely disappointed when we fail.” (Life Application Study Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:2)
“Rote compliance alone is not what Christ requires, but repentance [i.e., a true change of heart], yoking us with Him in a struggle that we may be whole as He is.” (Dynamis 10/28/12)
“…some people become so good or wise in their own eyes that they become deluded by their own religious acts. They are so rigid or narrow in their views that they lose their sensitivity to the true reason for being good – to honor God.” (Life Application Study Bible, Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)
“Repentance in deep mourning and joined with confession is what unveils the eyes of the soul to see the great things of God.” (Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos)
“Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means killing part of yourself, undergoing a kind of death. In fact, it needs a good man to repent. And here comes the catch. Only a bad person needs to repent: only a good person can repent perfectly. The worse you are the more you need it and the less you can do it. The only person who could do it perfectly would be a perfect person—and he would not need it.” (C.S. Lewis)
“A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself. In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble—because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out.” (C.S. Lewis)
“The beginning of repentance is to flee from sin and to abstain from passions.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Timothy 6:11)
“Isaiah pronounces God’s"woe to those who are intelligent in their own eyes” (Is 5:21). Saint Paul echoes him in Romans,"Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Rom 1:22). A"fool” in Holy Scripture is one who scoffs at the fear of the Lord and despises godly wisdom and instruction (Pr 1:7). However, the root cause is self-centered conceit, pride, and a vaunted confidence in one’s own ability to determine the truth of life’s issues and purpose.” (Dynamis 3/27/2013)
“Rationalizations in support of sins display a common darkness. Hearts ought to mirror the image of God; instead men are"intelligent in their own eyes and expert in their own eyes.” (Dynamis 3/27/2013)
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)
“Humility is the foundation of virtue.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Peter 1:5-7)
“The difficult thing is for man to decide to humble himself and leave everything to God’s providence and love." (Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain)
“Humility is born from true obedience and the rejection of [our] self-centered thoughts." (St. Macarius of Optina)
“We are not to be considered as being humble when we merely belittle ourselves, but it is when we are belittled by others, and not disturbed by it, that we are worthy of the name." (St. Macarius of Optina)
“Why do we clash over a trifle? Because we do not have humility. He who has humility wards off troubles. Without true humility, troubles remain intact and increase..."(Elder Ephraim of the Holy Mountain)
“A humble person lives on earth as if in the Kingdom of heaven—always happy, peaceful, and satisfied with everything." (St. Anthony of Optina)
“Salvation begins and ends with humility.” (St. John Chrysostom)
“Pride is the inner voice that whispers, ‘My way is best’…Only when you eliminate pride can God help you become all He meant you to be.” (Life Application Study Bible, Proverbs 16:5)
"When the vice of pride has become master of our wretched soul, it acts like some harsh tyrant who has gained control of a great city and destroys it completely, razing it to its foundations.” (Saint John Cassian)
"Many people express disapproval at the notion of religious guilt and penitence. They think it unhealthy and masochistic. That is because they forget that guilt is the beginning of repentance, not the end of it...repentance ends not in guilt, but in thankfulness." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
“We must always remember that we are not condemned for the multitude of our evils, but because we do not want to repent and learn. And those who have sinned must not despair. Let that never be…There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentance." (St. Mark the Asectic, St. Isaac the Syrian)
"...let no one say, I have committed many sins—there can be no forgiveness for me. He who says this does not know that God is the God of the penitent, that He came to earth not to save the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance, and that when someone repents the heavens rejoice over him." (St. Ephraim the Syrian)
“Repentance is the renewal of life. This means we must free ourselves of all our negative traits and turn toward absolute good. No sin is unforgivable except the sin of unrepentance.” (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)
"The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means"to have a change of heart or mind,” while the Greek word for sin, hamartia , means"to miss the mark.” Now if sin means missing the mark, then repentance means getting back on target. It is only when we understand repentance in this way that we can comprehend it as an ongoing, positive, and creative process." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
“Don’t apologize for your inadequacies. Accept your limitations with the same humility that you accept the strengths God has given you… Humility consists, not in condemning our conscience, but in recognizing God’s grace and compassion." (Life Application Study Bible, 2 Corinthians 11:6, St. Mark the Ascetic)
“...the moment we think we’ve achieved humility, we become proud of it…The Saints who are highest in God’s sight are the least in their own..." (Thomas Williams, Thomas À Kempis)
“There is, therefore, something in humility which, strangely enough, exalts the heart, and something in pride which debases it. This seems, indeed, to be contradictory, that loftiness should debase and lowliness exalt. But pious humility enables us to submit to what is above us; and nothing is more exalted above us than God; and therefore humility, by making us subject to God, exalts us.” (St. Augustine)
“By faithfully following this way of humility, we draw closer to God and so learn to love God, neighbor, and self. In this life, neither our love nor our humility will ever be perfect. But by faith and hope, we can continue on this reliable path toward a love greater than any we have ever asked for or imagined… the less we think about our impact on others, and the less we try to control that impact, the more the divine love emerges from us for the sake of others.” (Rev. Christopher H. Martin)
"God sets bounds to our spiritual attainments. We learn humility by the things we are unable to master, that we may not be exalted by those things we have the power to do.” (St. Gregory the Theologian)"The word humility – from"humus” (earth, dirt) – reminds us from whence we came.” (Dynamis 12/20/2014)
“But by the grace of God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10)
“True humility is not convincing yourself that you are worthless but recognizing God’s worth in you.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 15:9.10)
"Humility is seeing ourselves as we are and loving ourselves. It’s not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. Don’t confuse it with modesty, though modesty is a good thing. Humility is more simply putting others and their needs above your own. Humility leads to sincere repentance, which is a continual heart for God, and self-forgiveness." (Sacramental Living)
“Humility, then boils down to having an honest estimate of ourselves before God. We show false humility when we project negative worth on our abilities and efforts. We show pride when we inflate the value of our efforts or look down on others. True humility seeks to view character and accomplishments honestly. Recognizing that we have succeeded in an effort need not be pride.” (Life Application Study Bible, Titus 3:2)
“When God’s presence is welcome, there is no room for pride because He makes us aware of our true selves.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalms 10:11)
“Most of us are not"wise according to the flesh” (1 Cor 1:26), nor mighty in the power of this world, nor famous, nor socially important, for, truthfully, the smartest, strongest, and most famous of us, before God, are but fellow servants. Let us not overestimate ourselves or others, nor ever underestimate the presence of God within each one of [us].” (Dynamis 8/24/2012)
“Conceit, or vainglory, is a fatal vice. It hinders spiritual growth, for conceit causes us to despite those who have a different way of life, thinking we are better than they…To be conceited is a form of idolatry. (Orthodox Study Bible, Philippians 2:3)
“We have all done things for which we are ashamed and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be….Don’t dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now.” (Life Application Study Philippians 3:13, 14)
“The Church’s term for repentance is the Greek metanoia, which means a change of heart or change of mind. It is to be renewed and transformed inwardly and is both the first step and a continual step in new relationship with God.” (Sacramental Living)
“When we refuse to repent…we place a wall between us and God.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalm 66:18)
“Being sorry [remorse] for sin is not enough. Repentance demands a change of mind and heart that results in changed behavior.” (Life Application Study Bible, Jeremiah 3:11-13)
“A Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble.” (C.S. Lewis)
“He [Christ] comes to anyone with a humble enough heart to accept Him.” (Life Application Study Bible, Luke 2:9,10)
“Humility is essential to true spiritual works and opens the door to God's immeasurable grace.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Wisdom of Sirach 3:18)
“The greater you are, the more humble you must be, and you will find grace before the Lord” (Wisdom of Sirach 3:18)
“It is often when we recognize our weaknesses that God’s strength becomes available.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalms 102:3,4)
“Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realize their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. On the other hand, they also recognize their gifts and strengths and are willing to use them as Christ directs. Humility is not self-degradation; it is a realistic self assessment and commitment to serve.” (Life Application Study Bible, Luke 14:11)
“…the first step towards humility is to realize that one is proud.” (C.S. Lewis)
“Submission is the essence of life in Christ.” (Dynamis 12/6/2012)
“The Lord opposes the arrogant, but He gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:37)
“Repentance, which accompanies faith, is a total about-face. The word in Greek literally means to change one's mind, or more generally, to turn around. Repentance is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life. It is the necessary first step in the way of the Lord.” (The Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 3:1-3)"When we return to God, accept His forgiveness, and change our ways, He gives us a fresh start.” (Life Application Study Bible, 2 Samuel 12:20-24)
“The cure for evil desires is humility.” (Life Application Study Bible, James 4:4-6)
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)
“Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began...As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of"course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” (C. S. Lewis.)
“…we believe God loves us above all else and He views our sins, areas that we fall short, with compassion; but we must have a repentant heart that is open to receiving God’s compassion.” (Sacramental Living)
“Judas felt deep regret and remorse but was not repentant. Repentance is a far deeper state of mind and heart than regret or remorse…Because Judas only felt regret he fell into despair and hanged himself instead. Despair is a great sin because it means that we have no faith that God can help us. In many ways it is twisted form of pride. Therefore the greatness of the sin is such that it is a state of mind and heart that cuts us off, by our choice, from His forgiveness. Judas fell into despair that led to self-judgment.” (Sacramental Living)
“When I was talking to him [a priest] one time he asked me what was Judas Iscariot’s greatest sin. I replied by saying Judas betrayed Christ thinking this was such an obvious answer and wondered why he was asking me such a basic question. I was immediately humbled as the priest told me I was wrong and explained Judas’s greatest sin was self-judgment. After the betrayal, he did not go to Christ and ask His forgiveness but instead elevated himself above His Lord by becoming his own judge and jury and He hanged himself.” (Sacramental Living)
"Despair over sin should not lead to self-pity, causing us to think more about ourselves than God. Instead, it should lead to confession and then to God’s mercy, forgiveness, and redemption.” (Life Application Study Bible, 2 Psalm 120:1,2)
“According to our faith, we are created in God’s image and need to grow in His likeness. Every human being is therefore an icon of God. A careful reading of the Gospels reveals Jesus only condemned the self-righteous but had compassion on all others.” (Sacramental Living)
“How often people judge others by superficial standards of power, wealth and beauty, and miss the truly great people through whom God works! Greatness is measured not by what you have but by your faith in God.” (Life Application Study Bible, Luke 3:2)
“It does one good to see the fine side of people we’ve always seen the worst of.” (C.S. Lewis)
“Pride results from overvaluing ourselves above others. It leads to restlessness because it makes us dissatisfied with what we have and concerned about what everyone else is doing. It keeps us always hungering for more attention and adoration. By contrast, humility puts others first and allows us to be content with God’s leading in our lives. Such contentment gives us security so that we no longer have to prove ourselves to others.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalm 131:1,2)
“Spiritual pride blinds us to our own faults and magnifies the faults of others.” (Life Application Study Bible, Ephesians 2:11-13)
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