Vainglory is related to material and worldly matters, rather than to the spirit and its place in the eternal life.
WATANI International
23 October 2011
A person who is occupied with vainglory will be pleased with praise, and will feel self-admiration, which is a serious thing indeed. It is dangerous to think that you have attained something worth admiration, and if you hear no praise, you feel wise or righteous in your own eyes (Prov 26: 5; Job 32: 1). This is called self-righteousness, when one thinks of oneself more highly than one ought to think (Rom 12: 3).
Self-praise may be due to worldly or spiritual causes.
The worldly causes may be briefed in praising oneself for attaining a high position, wealth, beauty, fame, intelligence, or special capabilities in work, or an entertaining spirit, resourcefulness, ability to conquer the others … etc.
One also may praise oneself for spiritual causes:
Praising oneself may be for praying much, fasting, or for prostrations, spiritual ministry, ability to understand, learn, use, or meditate on the Scriptures, or for true repentance or spiritual growth, or for certain virtues attained.
Self-praise becomes more dangerous if it is accompanied by comparison:
This happens when one thinks oneself righteous, or rather more righteous than the others, or that one##s ministry is more successful, one##s meditations deeper, or one##s spiritual level higher! With such thoughts a person may continue seeing the others lesser!
More dangerous still is when self-praise is accompanied by contempt to others and degrading them.
Self-praise may be accompanied by judging the others, condemning their weakness or understanding, and holding comparison between one##s own success and the failure of the others. One may even challenge the others and rebuke them for their faults, or ascribe to them some weaknesses and shortcomings they do not really have. In some cases a person seeks to impose on the others the level of understanding he has, or thinks he has, attained. Seeking to impose one##s own views on the others is probably due to being convinced that one##s opinion is the only sound opinion. It is a sign of being wise in one##s own eyes (Prov 3: 7).
The sense of being wise urges a person to hold to a certain opinion or attitude even though it is evidently wrong, and may enter into arguments and discussions with obstinacy, interrupt the others, and object whatever opposes such views! In all this a person may lose the love and friendship of the others, or the sociability, cooperation or respect of the others. Such a person finds it difficult to admit his faults.
Perhaps such a person finds no faults in himself to admit, or his pride would make him justify whatever he does, and gives himself excuses!
He sees himself not wrong, and does not accept that anybody sees him wrong. He is righteous in his own eyes (Job 32: 1), so there is nothing to admit.
Confessing one##s sins and faults requires condemning oneself, then revealing one##s faults.
A proud person never condemns himself, even if he finds fault with himself, he will attribute it to the surrounding circumstances, or lay blame on the others, or even give spiritual names to his faults and try to clothe them in sheep’s clothing (Mt 7: 15)! He covers them under the excuse of good intentions and spiritual purposes, to say that they are correct and blameless!
Since such a person does not confess his sins, naturally he will not apologize.
In every controversy he will consider the other party wrong and should apologize and seek reconciliation!
Since he does not admit his fault, he will not confess before the father confessor, nor will seek to reconcile with the other party before communion, because he does not remember that his brother has something against him (Mt 5: 23, 24).
Whoever tries to convince him of his faults will be exposed to endless arguing and twisting of facts, and facing a special balance for evaluation and judgment according to a special understanding strange to the others.
In one##s self-righteousness, one likes to be righteous in the eyes of the others.
He either reveals such righteousness to the others, or defends himself against whatever prejudices this righteousness, or takes an outer appearance that reveals such righteousness, no matter what the inside may be. He may also surround himself with friends and admirers who keep praising him, or may surround himself with younger people or persons who are lower in knowledge or rank or spirituality, so that he may always appear greater. In this way he gives no room for criticism because those surrounding him keep glorifying and honoring him, and may even consult him concerning everything or take him as an example.
A humble person, on the contrary, always compares himself with higher levels. Compared to them he will feel humble, seeing he is lower, if not nothing. He always seeks what is perfect and higher, seeing himself has not yet attained the required level, putting before his eyes the words, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Pet 1: 16) “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Mt 5: 48)
The high levels which such a humble person puts before his eyes may be a living example or a character in the saints## biographies or in the Holy Scripture, or even a virtuous person. As St. Paul says, “… forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal.” (Phil 3: 13, 14) The farthest he reaches, the more he aspires to the required perfection, so he says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended … I press toward the goal.” (Phil 3: 13, 14)
Once a monk was fought with vainglory because of his spiritual struggling, so whenever this thought came to him, he kept saying, ##I wonder if I have attained the level of St. Anthony or St. Paul!##
A humble person whenever fought with self-righteousness ought to remember his sins.
He ought to remember his past with all its falls, weaknesses, and sins, so the war will decrease and he will not fall in arrogance. See how St. Paul who labored more abundantly than all the other apostles (1 Cor 15: 10), and who was caught up to the third heaven, into Paradise (2 Cor 12: 2, 4), said, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor 15: 9) Although this had happened in the past, and God forgave him and entered into a new covenant with him as a chosen vessel to bear His name before Gentiles and kings (Acts 9: 15), yet he kept reminding himself of it to live in humbleness.
David the Prophet likewise said, “My sin is always before me.” (Ps 51: 3)
If thoughts of self-righteousness occur to you, remember the grace of God working in you. Remember that all the good things you have are not due to your own efforts, but they are gifts from God through His power working in you and supporting you. Without Him you can do nothing (Jn 15: 5). Therefore you should not take God##s work and ascribe it to yourself, ignoring the work of grace.
If you ascribe the work of the grace to yourself, the grace may forsake you, and you will fall.
This may happen so that you may be aware of, and admit, your weakness, and that you may be cautious against self-righteousness and wrong boasting. You may even fall in the same sins for which you criticized the others, thinking yourself more powerful in facing such sins.
Indeed, a self-righteous person imagines himself powerful and able to do great things! In order to get rid of self-righteousness, put always before you the eternal life. Do not build your glory on the earth, for this glory is futile, and do not seek your reward here, for everything on earth is passing away. You ought rather to struggle for your eternal life, and say to yourself, ##I need nothing here on the earth.##
Do not seek any worldly honors, nor to be honored by the others, but seek the Lord##s testimony for you, not the testimony of the others, or of yourself.
Let your treasure be in heaven, not on the earth (Mt 6: 19). Do not let earthly glory make you lose the heavenly glory, or you will be loser.
Remember also your weak nature subject to deviation and change.
This nature is subject to falling. Know then that you are not stronger than the strong who fell, for it is said about sin that it has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by it were strong men (Prov 7: 26). If you slackened even a little, or if the grace forsook you for a while, the enemy will easily prevail over you.
Keep the purity of your heart by humbleness.
By humbleness grace will remain with you, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4: 6). By grace you will be able to overcome. Say to yourself, ##I am still on the way and have not reached the end yet. What avails is the end. Be cautious and wary then, and remember the words of he apostle:
“Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor 10: 12)
Our heavenly God is capable of protecting you and giving you victory, if only you are humble.