Do you think very highly of yourself, and sometimes more highly of yourself than of others? Most likely, you do, and it stems from pride! What is pride? Synonyms for pride include arrogance, conceit, smugness, and self-importance. Do any of these ring a bell with you? Most likely!
What does God say about pride? He says, “I hate pride and arrogance” (Prov 8:13); “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty Spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). What does He say about the proud? He says, “The Lord detests all the proud of heart” (Prov 16:5a); “Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (Rom 12:16). Doesn’t this make you want to tone it down? I think it should!
Recently, the media has been featuring incidents that demonstrate how fleeting life is or how fleeting it can be. For instance, a huge airplane with over two hundred people on board disappears without a trace; it seems like all of a sudden life is over, the passengers’ bodies may never be retrieved, at least not in whole. All of the “Look at me, look at me, I am all that” comes to a screeching halt without prior warning. How sad! Also, without warning, a mudslide wipes out a whole region; again, how sad? Shouldn’t we be humbled by these things? I think we should be, because life is so fragile and so unpredictable, and most importantly, God hates pride.
The book of James analyzes it this way, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (Ja 4:14b). You know, we are really not all that if we can be swallowed up by mud, water, and whatever else, in an instant. Let us take note and humble ourselves!
What does God say about pride? He says, “I hate pride and arrogance” (Prov 8:13); “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty Spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). What does He say about the proud? He says, “The Lord detests all the proud of heart” (Prov 16:5a); “Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (Rom 12:16). Doesn’t this make you want to tone it down? I think it should!
Recently, the media has been featuring incidents that demonstrate how fleeting life is or how fleeting it can be. For instance, a huge airplane with over two hundred people on board disappears without a trace; it seems like all of a sudden life is over, the passengers’ bodies may never be retrieved, at least not in whole. All of the “Look at me, look at me, I am all that” comes to a screeching halt without prior warning. How sad! Also, without warning, a mudslide wipes out a whole region; again, how sad? Shouldn’t we be humbled by these things? I think we should be, because life is so fragile and so unpredictable, and most importantly, God hates pride.
The book of James analyzes it this way, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (Ja 4:14b). You know, we are really not all that if we can be swallowed up by mud, water, and whatever else, in an instant. Let us take note and humble ourselves!