Every Christian man has a choice between being humble and being humbled.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of humility and suggests that individuals can choose to be humble or face the consequences of being humbled by life.
Charles Spurgeon highlights a fundamental choice that Christian men face regarding humility. The quote suggests that embracing humility leads to personal growth and integrity, whereas failing to be humble may result in challenging situations that force one to confront their pride and shortcomings. It serves as a reminder of the virtue of humility and the potential consequences of arrogance.
In practice
In a speech on personal character, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of humility in leadership.
Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man...Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
It is far easier to fight with sin in public than to pray against it in private.
You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.
After faith comes repentance, or, rather, repentance is faith's twin brother and is born at the same time.
["All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."] The original Hebrew word that has been translated "paths" means "well-worn roads' or "wheel tracks," such ruts as wagons make when they go down our green roads in wet weather and sink in up to the axles. God's ways are at times like heavy wagon tracks that cut deep into our souls, yet all of them are merciful.
Confidence is a reduction of your own interest in whether others are thinking about you and if so, what they're thinking.
Growth is limited by that necessity which is present in the least amount.
Perhaps a wiser eye than hers would be able to read tomorrow in tonight's stars, but where was the fun in that? It was better not to know. Better to be alive in the Here and the Now--in this bright, laughing moment--and let the Hours to come take care of themselves.
Don't you notice that there are particular moments when you are naturally inspired to introspection? Work with them gently, for these are the moments when you can go through a powerful experience, and your whole worldview can change quickly.
Every man must decide for himself whether he shall master his world or be mastered by it.
We say no to a lot of things so we can invest an incredible amount of care on what we do.
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