WE MIGHT BE BETTER THAN WE THINK
The Writings admonish us to reflect on our lives so that we might become
aware of thoughts and actions contrary to the life of heaven, and repent. But
there may also be more good in us than we see. The Lord, in His infinite
wisdom, knows that sometimes it is necessary to protect the goodness He has
implanted in our minds by keeping us unaware of it.
“There are some people who imagine that good does not exist with them
when in fact it does because when they reflect on the good present with
themselves the angels in whose community they are at that time immediately
instill the thought that good is not present. They do this to prevent such
persons from claiming the good as their own and to divert any thought of selfmerit and superiority to others. Otherwise they would sink into temptations.”
(Arcana Coelestia 2380.4)
Our self-esteem apparently isn’t a top priority for our guardian angels.
(WEO)
ON THE OTHER HAND
The fact that angels sometimes keep people from seeing the goodness in
themselves lest they spoil it with pride is about what we would expect, but this
next point may come as a surprise: namely, that there are certain people whose
spiritual condition is better served by imagining they possess more goodness
than they actually do.
Their illusion of goodness comes from evil spirits, but in providence this
false impression is permitted because thinking they are better than they are
keeps them from sinking into an even worse state.
“The reason why some imagine that good does exist with them when in
fact it does not, is that when they reflect on it the evil genii and spirits whose
company they are in immediately instill the thought that good does exist with
them – for the evil confuse good with delight.
“In fact it is suggested that whatever good they have done to others for
reasons of self-love and love of the world ought to be rewarded, and that they
have earned more merit than all others, whom they despise in comparison
with themselves. And what is remarkable, if they thought any differently from
this they would sink into temptations in which they would go under.” (Arcana
Coelestia 2380.5)
In these cases their delight in the good they think they possess (even
though they don’t) is better for them than to see how bad they really are, which
could result in them giving up on goodness altogether and plunging headlong
into unmitigated evil.
The subtleties of spiritual psychology are subtle indeed!
(WEO)
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