Are You "Connected" at Work? - Part 2
Last time, we ended our discussion with a problem. We talked about those who rely strictly on connections, without regard to the merit of their work and - most importantly - those who lack an understanding that only by working for the greater glory of God do we ever really succeed at our work.
The problem we address today is one of the worst any or us can ever confront in our lives. Indeed, many of us who have no connections (or very few), who come from modest backgrounds, without even the slightest whiff of "pedigree" suffer this problem. It's called pride.
Pride is the devil's sin. That's all you need to know about the gravity of the sin of pride.
In my experience, the really frightening side of pride is this: First, many of us don't recognize that we even suffer from pride. That's bad enough. But, second, even when you recognize that you suffer from the sin of pride, it's really REALLY hard to get rid of it.
Okay, so many sins are hard to simply get rid of. You have to work at it. After all, if the way to acquire a virtue is through work, then getting rid of a vice is going to take as much - if not more - work.
But pride, well, pride strike me as being like an insidious infection, or a disease, that you can't get rid of. I once had the flu and couldn't seem to shake the fever, even after I had supposedly recovered. This low grade fever just hung around for a few weeks - for what seemed like an eternity at the time. Eventually, with a doctor's help, I got rid of it.
Here's a passage from the book The Father's Life that I talked about recently. It's gives us a good description of this insidious sin called pride:
And if it takes a lifetime, or close to it, that's OK. Just get started getting rid of it. Do so with a serious intention and work at it every day. Our Lord will know that you're working hard and will work with you. Remember that it was the Devil, he who fell from glory to hell because of pride, who lured our first parents into that very same sin. And it was Our Lord, whose birthday we just celebrated, who took things into His own hands and came to live among us, showing us how to live right, ultimately suffering and dying because of that insidious pride that - without His Saving Grace - might have destroyed the entire human race.
So even if your work's pressing you as hard as mine is at the moment, if you need to tackle pride, make darn sure that getting rid of your pride is your #1 priority this day and every day, not matter how busy you are, no matter who or what is demanding your time and attention at the moment.
Whatever you accomplish at work won't hold a candle to the importance of hunting down that pride and begging God's mercy that He provide whatever grace you need to get rid of it.
The problem we address today is one of the worst any or us can ever confront in our lives. Indeed, many of us who have no connections (or very few), who come from modest backgrounds, without even the slightest whiff of "pedigree" suffer this problem. It's called pride.
Pride is the devil's sin. That's all you need to know about the gravity of the sin of pride.
In my experience, the really frightening side of pride is this: First, many of us don't recognize that we even suffer from pride. That's bad enough. But, second, even when you recognize that you suffer from the sin of pride, it's really REALLY hard to get rid of it.
Okay, so many sins are hard to simply get rid of. You have to work at it. After all, if the way to acquire a virtue is through work, then getting rid of a vice is going to take as much - if not more - work.
But pride, well, pride strike me as being like an insidious infection, or a disease, that you can't get rid of. I once had the flu and couldn't seem to shake the fever, even after I had supposedly recovered. This low grade fever just hung around for a few weeks - for what seemed like an eternity at the time. Eventually, with a doctor's help, I got rid of it.
Here's a passage from the book The Father's Life that I talked about recently. It's gives us a good description of this insidious sin called pride:
Pride! How can you uproot it from your heart? The moment you spot it, it mutates and pops up in another un-uprooted corner of your heart.If you don't have it, don't let it in. If you've got it, do whatever you have to do - prayer, fasting, whatever - to work on excising, burning, ripping it out of your heart. If you know a good priest-confessor, this is where he'll earn his keep. Any good confessor knows all about pride. They'll know how critical it is for you to get rid of it - even if it takes a lifetime.
And if it takes a lifetime, or close to it, that's OK. Just get started getting rid of it. Do so with a serious intention and work at it every day. Our Lord will know that you're working hard and will work with you. Remember that it was the Devil, he who fell from glory to hell because of pride, who lured our first parents into that very same sin. And it was Our Lord, whose birthday we just celebrated, who took things into His own hands and came to live among us, showing us how to live right, ultimately suffering and dying because of that insidious pride that - without His Saving Grace - might have destroyed the entire human race.
So even if your work's pressing you as hard as mine is at the moment, if you need to tackle pride, make darn sure that getting rid of your pride is your #1 priority this day and every day, not matter how busy you are, no matter who or what is demanding your time and attention at the moment.
Whatever you accomplish at work won't hold a candle to the importance of hunting down that pride and begging God's mercy that He provide whatever grace you need to get rid of it.
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