Chapter 7: The value of humility (paragraph 7)

And so, if the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked, and if at all times the Lord looks down from heaven on the sons and daughters of men to see if any show understanding in seeking God, and if the angels assigned to care for us report our deeds to the Lord day and night, we must be on our guard every hour or else, as the psalmist says, the time may come when God will observe us falling into evil ways and so be made worthless. (From para. 7 of Ch. 7 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

This is a long and difficult sentence for me, because although I'm heartened by the clarity of purpose in "seeking God", the word at the end, "worthless" falls hard upon me. I want to understand that word, for myself, as that feeling I experience when I'm confronted with something bigger than I can handle, but then realize redemption is always a choice.