16 May | Youth
«The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.» Psalm 25:9
Scholars who study animal behavior say that the goose, when born, will follow the first moving object it finds in the environment. A social bond occurs between the baby goose and whatever is moving in front of it. Austrian naturalist Konrad Lorenz developed the first scientific studies on this phenomenon. With human beings, the process of education has some similarities. We learn many things unconsciously, see-ing how our parents act. In spiritual terms, we are born in sin; therefore, we are naturally selfish, proud, and pedantic.
Pride is a problem of the human heart since childhood. A two-year-old child feels like they are the abso-lute owner of the place. If they grow up next to someone who lives as if they do not depend on anyone, they will end up convincing themselves that they are the last cookie in the jar. In the heart of a proud person, there is no place for anyone but themselves.
When parents are careful in building their children’s self-esteem, they need to talk about the child’s self-worth, but it is also essential to teach them to depend on others in order to protect them against arrogance. Every child needs to learn from an early age that we depend on each other to live.
Humility is a choice. We are dependent beings, made to share. The psalmist says that God is capable of teaching the path of humility to every child who loves Him. The medicine for a selfish heart is humility. God knows that we need to experience the life, joy, and provision that we find in Him and also that por-tion of life that we experience in our relationships with each other.
Today’s challenge is to learn to walk the path of humility. One step at a time!