Ezek. 7:10 Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is
gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
Pride
Prov. 16: 18 Pride goeth before destruction, and
an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride goes before a fall is
a paraphrase of an ancient Hebrew proverb, designed to warn man that excessive
pride will often cause one to fail. Excessive pride? Oh, I know people like
that. I have family members who are so proud of their beautiful richly
decorated homes and their fancy garden and pool by the wayside. That would be
pride in the excessive. A ‘look what I have and you don’t’ attitude.
Me, I’m just happy in being
alive, having a roof over my head, and having food in the refrigerator to fix
for my family. I’m not a prideful person and any time it tries to rear its ugly
head I have to swat it away like a pesky fly, kill it before it becomes too
excessive.
We are not called to be
prideful among men. To me, pride is a form of shame also; shame of health
issues, shame of poverty issues or shame of living arrangements, all a form of
pride. When someone is ashamed to take assistance from someone reaching out to
them, pride rears its ugly head and the words that come out are, “No, no, I
don’t need any help.”
Man is so prideful that he
would rather do without than to take a handout. Even if it is freely offered,
man in his shame hides his face proudly stating to themselves that they are too
good for charity. This is the fall; they will hunger. Sure they’ll pray for
food, a better job, ways to make ends meet but when assistance arrives they are
too prideful and miss a rish blessing.
I think the problem is that
man tries too hard to acquire something instead of knowing when a blessing
arrives; it passes by on the train heading out of town and they miss the
opportunity because of their pride.
About eight years ago, I
thought I was too proud, but when Steven lost his job, was going blind, and we
had no means for food we surely didn’t pass up the food at the food pantry that
was ours if only our pride wouldn’t walk through the door with us.
Sure I was witness to
people taking advantage of a system that was put in place to help people like
us. I myself wasn’t able to go out and get a job because Steven was losing his
sight, he needed to be taken to the doctors, he needed to be taken places that
he could not have gotten to on his own. Yes we were offered gas for our truck
from the Pastor and no we didn’t hide in shame, we HAD to take it. We were
learning how to humble ourselves.
When we needed help in
moving from Texas to Nebraska, the arm of the Lord reached out and guided us
seeing to it that we had a house to come to, accepting assistance from people
who didn’t even know us, to ones who knew us personally. We basically were in
God’s hands for about three years before things began to change. Steven got his
sight back, Steven got a job and we learned a lot about what the face of
patience looks like along with a humble spirit, along with watching any ounce
of pride fleeing from us like we were lepers.
I then was diagnosed with
lower lumbar facet joint arthritis in my back. A chronic pain which would limit
my mobility but praise God, didn’t leave me completely immobile. I can do lots
of stuff, but pride often tries to rear its head. Like some Loch Ness monster,
it peeks out only for me to see. “No, I don’t need a cane,” “No, I don’t need
pain pills,” “No, I don’t need this or that or the other thing.” Yup, pride,
swimming in the murky waters wanting me to take a hold of it BUT never really
ensnaring me in its trap.
Sure I can be too proud to
declare that I’ve stood in line at the Department of Welfare, I can put on a
brave face and claim ‘I NEVER stood in the aisles of a food pantry.’ But what
would the point in that be? I’m here to tell you that even the Godliest of
people have suffered the pangs of pride; threw off the ugliness and embraced
true blessings.
The next time you look at a
homeless man or woman and think they are the scum of the earth, why not think
of what put them there? Why not show a little compassion and understanding
knowing that not ALL homeless people WANT to be where they are. They just never
caught a break. Your pride won’t allow you to walk up to one and hand him
coffee or a few quarters for some food. No, you’re too afraid he’ll just use
the money for booze but really that is your pride talking. You’re too proud to
approach the homeless.
Heb. 13: 2 Be not forgetful
to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
And keep in mind, while
you’re sitting there all haughty and prideful, a fall will come when you least
expect it and you’ll have no one else to blame but yourself. Pride is also
dressed in boasting. Neither is attractive or becoming to a Christian.
Pss.10:4 The wicked,
through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in
all his thoughts.
