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Pride Comes Before the Fall
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Proverbs 16:18 Pride is the first step toward destruction. Proud thoughts will lead you to defeat.
Listen to the radio broadcast of Pride Comes Before the Fall
Download audio fileIf you were to be stranded on a desert island and you had a choice to take just one person with you, what sort of person would you choose? A proud one, or a humble one?
Humility is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. Let’s face it, it isn’t one of the qualities most large corporations are looking for, when they’re hiring a new chief executive. All too often those large outfits are looking for someone who looks the part, who exudes confidence, who’s strong and, well, you know the rest.
But I’m not so sure. Because all too often, along with all those apparently desirable qualities, comes pride. So, what is pride? Surprisingly, my dictionary only has positive definitions of pride – and to be sure, there are some positive aspects to it. I’m incredibly proud of the achievements of my three children for instance.
But pride also has an ugly underbelly. We all know people who are full of themselves. We all know people who think of themselves more highly than they should, promoting themselves, pushing into situations for advantage, keen on climbing a few rungs higher up the ladder of capability and entitlement than they perhaps should be.
God has rather a lot to say about that sort of pride. Here’s just one thing – it’s a powerful piece of godly wisdom:
Pride is the first step toward destruction. Proud thoughts will lead you to defeat. (Proverbs 16:18)
Pride comes before the fall. It brings people unstuck, because when we’re full of ourselves, we end up doing silly things and then when we fall, as inevitably we do, everybody takes a big step back and just watches.
Humility is the opposite of that: it’s about thinking a bit less of ourselves than we should. Being understated, not after recognition or the limelight. Being the quiet achiever, content for others to experience our abilities firsthand when the time comes.
Which sort of person do you prefer? The proud one, or the humble one? It’s a bit of a no-brainer. Some of the strongest, most competent people I know, are the humble ones. And they are, after all, the ones that we admire; the ones that we want to be around.
So, might I ask you, which of these two words best describes you: proud … or humble?
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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