The Remedies for Empty Glory

So the athlete of Christ who wants to compete lawfully in this true and spiritual contest should strive by every means to overcome this changeable monster of many shapes. Since it attacks us on every side like some many-sided wickedness, we can escape it by a remedy such as this: by thinking on that saying of David, “The Lord has scattered the bones of those who please men.” [a]

To begin with, we should not let ourselves do anything at the prompting of vanity and for the sake of winning empty glory. Next, when we have begun a thing well, we should try to keep it up with just the same care, so that the sickness of empty glory does not creep in afterward and make void all the fruit of our labors. Anything of very little use or value in the common life of the brothers we should avoid as leading to boasting. And whatever would make us stand out among the others, and win us credit among men as if we were the only ones who could do it, we should shun. For by these signs the deadly taint of empty glory will be shown to cling to us. We will escape it most easily if we consider that we will not merely lose the fruit of the labors we have done at the prompting of empty glory, but will also be guilty of a great sin and, as ungodly people, suffer eternal punishment. For we have wronged God by doing for the favor of men what we ought to have done for his sake, and we are convicted by him who knows all secrets of having preferred men to God, and the praise of the world to the praise of the Lord.