Expounding on 1 Timothy 3:6-- advice to new converts

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:6)

My husband wrote this in a different context the other day, but it was so good I had to share:

There is a perilous trap for neophytes in the Church: Obsession with Apologetics. When the neophyte does not possess sufficient self knowledge, he may deceive himself and say," Ah! I love the truth!" But in his heart he merely wants to be like those whom he reveres, because he doesn't know what it means to really love. He has yet to discover that, to discover how he is loved.
But just like a child doesn't know how to be a man, or a son a father, neither does the novice know the way. He loves winning, he loves pontificating, arguing, agreeing with the right people, pointing his finger, and saying true things (though he doesn't know their full meaning). He says what he has heard, and marvels at the continuity, and imagines that if he says these things to others he will be just like those who said it to him. He is exactly what a novice is... immature. And if anyone grants him an apostolate because he is zealous, not discerning his immaturity, they make a grievous error, imperiling his soul.
In the natural course of time, his false pride will wilt and whither, if no one feeds it with honors of which he is not worthy. When his pride is frustrated to death, he will despair, and learn humility. Then, he is no more a novice. Then, he will see that the love he had for the truth before was like the love of a boy for a girl, because he will know then that his love now is like the love of a man for his wife and his children. Then, he will understand.
You can see his arrogance, not because he speaks the truth boldly. But because he doesn't say it with decency. He doesn't understand, he even resents the maxim of the philosopher," Maxims are unbecoming in the mouths of youths." Pontificating what he has not allowed to change him. And you will see his immaturity in other plain ways: impunctuality, imprudence, course jesting and foolishness. He always has a river of words coming out of his mouth. These if they are given a ministry become vain and puffed up, imagining themselves to be something when in truth they are nothing but neophytes.
And many a Christian ought to recognize themselves in this presently, and others looking back. It is a constant peril. Humility, humility, humility! How important it is to wait upon the Lord, until such a time as when you have what you have in the mind in the heart. If a man is honest with himself, he know this will take years of constant prayer, reading the scripture, frequenting the sacraments, oft resorting to the Church to seek the face of God before the sacrament. In time such a man will be approved of God, having in him a new thing... in the quietude of his soul, he will know it. And this is why in the Early Church, it was established that no one could be a theologian unless they had experienced God.
So, put your face to the ground before the sacrament, pray for God's will, learn by doing righteousness, and hold your peace. There are enough pests in the Church, trouble making busy bodies. The Church already has its fill of babblers, learn holiness through fearless and quite servitude, holding the mystery of the Gospel in a good conscience. Don't go in pretending or wanting to be somebody. As Christ said,"When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” And this is how you should be in the Churches.

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