Pride!

Pride!

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 AMPC

A lot of what makes us followers of Christ are hidden beneath the surface. There are things about the Christian experience that a personal relationship with God is the only way to explain them. How do you explain faith in a God who is not seen, at least not by the naked eye? How do you explain hope in an eternity nobody has ever returned from to prove that it does exist, yet for all who follow Christ, we are convinced that there is life after this earthly phase and we live our lives carefully, so that we can be found worthy of a place with God in that eternity.

Against this backdrop is the truth of today's extract. Just as you have the positive side, so do you have the negative. All who follow Christ walk in humility, sure and certain that they can only make it by a daily dependence on God. The flip side is also true: all who think they can make it on their own are telling God that they do not need Him. That is pride: a sense of independence and a false sense of security in position, power or possession. And because God never leaves us in doubt as to the consequences of our decisions, He tells us what the end of pride is: destruction.

And the danger of pride is that just like salvation, it is not tangible. Just like faith, you can't touch pride but its end is always eternal. It is also not easily acknowledged by the person who is proud, and it is only a cry to God for help will save from the consequences of pride. So, how's your heart? What are its present priorities and pursuits? Are you surrendered to God or are you in charge of your own life? Remember, eternity is too long a time not to be sure of where you will spend it. His time of favour is here.