Pride vs Humility: From Cain to Aslan to Samson to Mary

Chapter 7. Of fleeing from vain hope and pride.

Thomas offers us a simple warning and a promise:  if we put our faith in anyone or anything other than The Lord, we face futility.  However, God will honor our efforts and intentions if the rationale for these are in accord with His Will.

Cain & Abel

Life is vain for the one who puts trust in the children of Adam or in any created thing (Jer 17:5, Ps 146:2-4).  Do not be ashamed to be the servant of others for the love of Jesus Christ, and to be reckoned poor in this life. (2 Cor 4:5)

Build your refuge in God (Ps 73:28), not upon your own capabilities. Do what is within your power, and God will help your good intent.
Trust in the favour of God, who resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, and do not trust in your learning, nor in the cleverness of others.

Next, Thomas cautions us to build our relationship with God.  He does not say that we should not have wealth or powerful friends, but rather to keep these in perspective: put God first as only He can break the Stone Table.

Aslan & The Stone Table

 It is easy to think our selves as not needing Him when we are in the flower of youth and health.  But this talent is from God Himself.  Think of Samson here.

2. If you have wealth, take no glory in your riches.  If you have powerful friends, do not rely upon that relationship, but in your relationship with God, who gives all things, and in addition to all things, He desires to give even Himself. (1 Cor 1:31).



Sampson & Delilah

 Boasting because of your strength or beauty of body is futile since it takes only a slight sickness for it to fail and wither away. Pride in your skilfulness or ability for fear that it will displease God, from Whom emanates every good gift and talent which we have.

Thomas concludes this chapter with an admonition to stay humble in all of your efforts. With Mary as a model of humility, we can practice our humility and obtain peace and quiet strength.  This does not ever amount to being a punching bag.

3. Do not count yourself better than others, since you will then be accounted worse in the sight of God, who knows what is in a man's heart.


Be humble about your good works, for God's judgments are of another sort than the judgments of man, and what pleases others is ofttimes displeasing to Him (Is 55:6-9).

Mary's Fiat

If you have any good qualities, believe that others have more, and so you may preserve your humility. It is no harm to you if you place yourself below all others; but it is great harm if you place yourself above even one other person. Peace is ever with the humble, but in the heart of the proud there is envy and continual wrath.