🌀 The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency 🌀 We exist in life completely naked; we are born naked and die naked. Thus, we need everything: air, water, food, clothing, shelter. We cannot live without these necessities, just as we cannot live without others. We enter life in complete poverty, and we receive life from God, from the universe, and from people. This richness, if according to true existence by the grace of God, allows us to live a true human life. But if it is the false existence distorted by sin, we fall into despair, ignorance, and all other sins. The origin of pride is the greatness of humanity received as the image of God. However, this divine greatness within us can turn from divine grace into a deadly sin leading to the destruction of both soul and body. We are great by the grace of God, but we transform this greatness into a personal attribute, ability, and special status, separating it from its true source, which is God. Even adultery is originally a desire for union with another, but instead of the spiritual union that precedes physical union, we turn to physical union without a bond of love or true communion, making the union adulterous. Even murder is originally a desire for giving and generosity, but instead of giving our lives and offering ourselves, we—out of fear and hatred—strip others of life so that we may live. #HumanNature #DependenceOnGod #Pride #Sin #ImageOfGod #Community