Reflection 221: Glorying in Yourself

Sometimes, those who are quite “religious” speak of many “religious” things. They speak pious language and talk about holy things. But in the end, it may be that all they say and do is actually said and done as a way of glorifying themselves in the sight of others. This is the struggle of the Pharisees. Sadly, those who struggle with this, just like the Pharisees, may even be fooling themselves into thinking they are exceptionally close to God. But their pride has blinded them. The goal of our lives must be to humbly point to God and offer all glory to Him, not to ourselves. This can be very hard, but when done well, as an act of the utmost humility and truth, we realize that God actually does draw us into His glory and allows us to share in the honor that we owe to Him. Only in this way do we come to realize our true dignity as His sons and daughters. And in humbly pointing to God in all things, we are also lifted on high by God Himself (See Diary #1149).

Are you able to give all glory to God rather than trying to lift yourself up for others to see? Reflect upon this in all honesty and humility. The problem is that if you lift yourself on high, you will not be able to lift yourself very high and will actually find yourself in a more humiliated state than you could have imagined. Lift the Lord on high and point to Him as the source of all goodness and leave the elevation of your own life up to Him. He will raise you higher than you could ever do yourself.

Lord, I pray for the gift of humility. I pray that in my humility I will see the truth and proclaim only that truth. I especially pray that I will be able to see the truth that all good things come from You and are accomplished by You. All glory be to You my Lord! Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Christ among the Pharisees, by Jacob Jordaens

Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.