"What is the greatest temptation? Money? Sex? Power? . . . I wonder of the greatest and most destructive temptation may not be any of these three. I wonder if the greatest temptation is self-rejection. Could it be that beneath all the lures to greed, lust, and success rests a great fear of never being enough or not being lovable? . . . Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradictions the sacred voice that calls us God's beloved. . . .
How do I discern the voice that says 'be humble' from the one that says 'you're nothing.' Humility has nothing to do with self-rejection. You can only be humble if you have deep self-respect."