Humility - the Meat 1

I have wrestled and wrestled with the next entry, the next step here. One path I went down was; "Humility, the road less traveled" with the idea that we focus on a lot of things in the Christian life, but that Humility is not one of them.

I have also played around in my heart with a concept that pride is the ultimate sin or maybe better stated, the root of all sin. And if that is the case, then humility is the ultimate character trait. That is a pretty bold statement, and if I make it, isn't that a sign of pride (your classic catch-22). Well, I came across something that made up my mind for me, so I will throw caution to the wind:

Humility is the greatest of all character traits!

I have a co-conspirator in this belief, and after reading what Augustine said about humility, I was willing to make the plunge. He said:

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.

I am not alone with Augustine (rather, I would be hiding in the folds of his robe. He has others who believe as he does of the foundational importance of humility:

God created the world out of nothing, and so long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.
Martin Luther

Again, Augustine:

Should you ask me what is the first thing in religion, I should reply that the first, second, and third thing therein is humility.

C. J. Mahaney was asked to write a letter to a young pastor. This request was made to several promenant Christian leaders. the letters were then put into a book entitled, "Dear Timothy". C. J. chose to write his letter on humility.

But that is not the whole story...