“Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment. . .” – Apostle Paul.
Do you think sober application of humility still serves a role in today’s society? Should it? Is it more important to judge others unto our own self-exaltation?
We live in an era where visions of cosmic Justice prevail; often with the totalitarian assertion that they are right simply because of their potential for self-aggrandizement or moral exhibitionism.
Thoughts?
© 2026 – SoulSequel
5 responses to “The extinction of humility”
In America, we live in a country which is the successor of the Roman Empire. This is the world’s superpower today, inherited from Great Britain, and before that the powers of Europe and the “Holy Roman Empire”.
There are seven billion people on the planet. If we have the light, we need to lead them. But, we are, instead, trusting in “Science”, not God. Not the teachings of Jesus.
It is a conundrum. Where does America sit? America is as the top of the mountain of the greatest nations in the world. As far to the east as South Korea. As far to the West as the boundaries of the Baltic Seas. As far to the North, as the slim line of the southern most part of Canada. And a sheer drop off at Mexico.
Is America raised so high because she is good and her majority are holy servants of Jesus? And, just what is America?
We have a criminal justice system that is incredibly cruel and unforgiving. We have more people imprisoned per capita then any other nation in the world. We have a medical system that caters to the rich and shuts the door to the poor. We celebrate depraved tyrants like Steve Jobs and Donald Trump. Our most famous ministers teach “give me money and you will get money” doctrine. Our most worldly leading preachers teach “get into politics and be narrow minded and judgmental”.
Our social left teach “outrage”, while humming the song of “social justice”, when really they just preaching what people want to hear, people who want money, but refuse to work for God first and seek His Face.
They look towards group movements, and are hardly distinguishable from the right.
Yet, we do have a lot of Christians here. Obama was a good Christian President. Bush was a good Christian President.
We are rich and have gotten fat.
Our school systems are deeply ineffective and unforgiving. This, at a time, when we need our children to be as educated as well as possible in a constantly changing world.
Our religious loudest have been following Trump apparently mostly because they want money and material success in the world. Like he claims to have. They judge people based on their skin color and background, and can not comprehend the concept of being kind and loving to immigrants.
That this was and is one of the first and most important mandates in the Bible is beyond them. They do not care. That they, themselves, are immigrants, does not matter.
The wealth is something that people do not get. Even our poor is wealthy compared to the standard of history.
So, is America rising from the bright light of the “Holy Roman Empire”? Is America a nation of God fearing and God loving Christians, and this is why they are so materially blessed? Or is America just the successor in a long line of world kingdoms that stretches back to Nebuchadnezzar?
Do not get me wrong: God is here. I am constantly amazed by all of the good, loving, humble people I come across. We have an expansive system, where very much works. Tied intrinsically to the world, our stance of being kind and supportive and immigrants remains higher then any other nation — despite policies and politics.
There are good elements here and promise that we can make something good out of this place. But, ‘getting out of Babylon and returning home’ is about the heart, not the nation. Nothing will fill our storehouses, but faith and humility before God. Nothing will solve our national and global problems but faith in God and adherence to the message of Jesus Christ.
That, is lacking. Rich among the poor, rare among the rich.
When you live in a world with tv, computers, internet, soft furniture, homes that have air conditioning and heating, running water, fresh food everyday: these are luxuries kings and queens could never even dream of.
I do not think the problem is the ordinary, humble Americans or Canadians or Europeans or Japanese or South Koreans. The problem is something spiritual, and really, there is nothing we can do about it. What we can do is pray and strive to find the Kingdom of God, by ourselves, alone, and do our humbling of our selves in secret, so we do not lose our reward.
If we have found the Kingdom, we need to stay in the boat, and keep going. There is a price to pay ‘for all of this’, but the wicked will destroy their own selves in good time. The lowly must rise, not in material wealth and power, nor in fame before corrupt groups, but towards God and Jesus, the Holy Angels, and the waking Saints of old.
We are once worms, changing in our cocoons, breaking out through the layers to the light. We are babies striving and growing in the womb, about ready for birth.
We are Noah and his family on the ark, above the seas, on a lonely quest, sending out ravens, and getting nothing back.
We are isolated engineers and workers on a distant moon, in rocketships, traveling across the lonely universe, not really sure how to get anywhere, and knowing we can never get back.
Time, though, is somehow, someway on our side. And we have time, a lot of time. We just have to wait and be grateful for our reward.
God will fill our cups and our table, while our enemies look on.
I think of myself as nothing… less than nothing in fact – and this is the truth of all people, for the moment anyone dies, it’s as if they never existed in the first place – if given enough time. Unless you’re a major figure in history (and so few of us have that capability, it’s basically not worth mentioning), life’ll go on and no one will remember you after a few years, or even a few handful of years. This is one of the biggest reasons why I’m so unwilling to risk basically ANYTHING for uncertainty. This is one of the main reasons that I rely so heavily on things within the purview of the scientific method, those things that are published, things that have a consensus out there already.
@griz, If you’re reading Thomas Sowell, it says a great deal about your growth.
@immortal_pirate
Thanks.
I found his advocacy for rule of law, and for fewer succinct laws, compelling.
@griz One law (at most) is needed. “don’t be an ass.” Everything else is superfluous. Even to the relationship minded christian, that would include recognizing a deity.