At the beginning of the call to the spiritual life, the Lord visits a person with His grace and various consolations, but afterwards He withdraws them and casts him into the fire of diverse temptations and sorrows, so that our self-loving and glory-loving disposition would be completely reduced to ashes by the fire of temptation, and would not trust in itself and its works but in the mercy and love of God. Humility is a great blessing!

Venerable Macarius of Optina
Living without Hypocrisy