|
I guess I should consider myself an expert on pride. The Lord has been exposing and stripping my life of this terrible sin for decades. Samson was driven by pride; it can be observed in almost everything he did. Samson's two most profound markers of pride are seen in his poem after he killed one thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey, and in his prayer for revenge on the Philistines. We will look at both today.
I want to transport you back in time to the greatest fight of all time. The match is between Samson and one thousand Philistines. The Philistines are skilled warriors with swords, shields, helmets, and more armor than the average person could carry. Samson, on the other hand, was an ordinary man. He grabbed a jawbone that was laying around and squared off with the army. We have no biblical evidence that Samson had bulging muscles or a muscular physique. What He did have was the power of God in his life. But after destroying the entire army, Samson assumed the credit by propounding a prideful poem that assigned all the glory to himself.
The Bible records Samson's first prayer only after he has been stripped of his power and humiliated: "O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes" (16:28). Notice that Samson does not voice brokenness for his sin, empathy for the Philistines' paganism, or desire for God to be glorified. With the heart of pride, Samson prays for self-glorification and revenge. Pride has no regard for the things of God, but it pushes men to position themselves for selfish gain.
Pride is the enemy of humility. The Bible says that pride drives a man to dishonor (Proverbs 11:2; 29:23). God opposes the proud and stands in opposition to the proud (1 Peter 5:5; Jeremiah 50:31). The prideful are guaranteed a life of destruction (Proverbs 16:18). When I am prideful, God deploys opposition in my life; its design is to bring me to repentance. Warren Wiersbe said, "A tall tree attracts lightning. So, God puts down those who are conceited. Stuck-up people usually suffer some humiliating experience designed to deflate their ego. After all, it takes only a small pin to prick a large balloon."
Humility is the enemy of pride. The Bible says, "Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor" (Proverbs 29:23). The humble in heart will receive favor from God (1 Peter 5:5). God elevates the humble to heights that He can use them and bless them. Philippians 2:3 states, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." When I humble myself, the pride in me is destroyed. As I put others first, I am then exalted by God.
Have you allowed pride to permeate your heart? Do you view yourself as superior to others in any way? Consider praying this prayer:
Lord, I humble myself and confess any pride in my heart and ask you to forgive me. Please help me to view my sin with more intense scrutiny than anyone else. I ask You to expose any areas of pride in my life that I may humble myself instead of being humbled by You. Please help me to identify patterns where I am prone to self-exaltation. I want to be a humble giant who brings glory to Your name.
|
Apple
Spotify
Stitcher
YouTube
