Pride Before the Fall

When pride comes. then comes disgrace. but with the humble is wisdom.

-- Proverbs 11:2

   

Do you like to DIY (Do It Yourself)?

Rather than hiring a licensed carpenter, plumber, landscape architect or other expert, you relish the challenge of fixing a leaky bathroom faucet or installing a terraced garden. No professionals are needed--or even wanted--in your construction zone. And if that's your perspective, you're hardly alone. Millions of viewers tune into the DIY Network, HGTV and similar programming, and there are countless home improvement websites and magazines out there to help you begin your next project and wow the neighbors.

There's definitely a certain pride factor when you do it yourself and do it right. After all, who can deny the satisfaction from showing off that polished old school muscle car or lush, manicured lawn? And that goes double when you put extra hours of hard work into your efforts. The folks next door are impressed. So yes, you should be proud.

Or should you?

Maybe taking pride in a job well done is OK to a point. But as Christ-followers, we must understand that PRIDE is actually a hazard that can hurt us badly if we don't watch out. 

It turns out that misplaced pride really IS a big deal to God. That's because pride can be a crippling disease with some very nasty side effects. First, we see it in others but not in ourselves. And eventually, we get to the point where we think we can do it all--and all while forgetting that God is the true power and source of our successes. We become arrogant, vain, stubborn and defensive. What's more, we may develop a strange sense of satisfaction when others (sometimes even our friends) face difficulties or tragedies in their lives. These symptoms last for a while. But only up to the point where God finally lets us crumble and fall flat from some unforeseen situation or circumstance.

It's called the pride before the fall. And it's only then that we come back to our senses and come back to God.

What's the prescription for curing this infection called PRIDE? It's not about adopting a permanently-low level of self-esteem or a false woe-is-me attitude. Instead, it's a focus on replacing self-confidence with God-confidence. Our best strategy is to always put God first in our lives and remember that we can do nothing without Him. Let's always give Him the credit for our blessings and successes. And then let's never forget that God chooses and uses humble people to do great things in the world.

The Bible sums it all up with some solid advice: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."