Wisdom From John
Pride Goes Before Destruction
President Calvin Coolidge wrote, "The political mind is the product of men in public life who have been twice spoiled. They have been spoiled with praise and they have been spoiled with abuse. With them nothing is natural, everything is artificial."
(Rising Tide, The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927; pg 261)
As I read this thought from President Coolidge, I began to count the number of great people who have fallen from grace and wondered why they fell. We have all seen at least one or two nationally known ministers rise to fame only to fall in disgrace because of an indiscretion. We have also known national leaders who performed their duties with apparent integrity and then had to resign because of scandal.
Understanding that abuse of power spoils the individual is easy to see. But, what is it about praise that spoils the individual? Proverbs 16:18 tells us that "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Does the fall come because pride deadens our ear to the truth or is it because in pride we feel we no longer need God?
How easy it is to say, "I have done it my way and I have achieved success. Oh, and by the way, thanks God for whatever you did." Seldom, do we ever stop to think about how many people had a hand in making us who we are? It is odd how quickly we forget all those who have helped us along this pathway called life. As for God, it is unbelievably easy for us to take credit for what he has done in secret.
So, what should we do to keep from falling from grace? The first step is to align ourselves with someone who will keep us well grounded in our faith. Someone who will not only encourage us but who will bring us back to earth when we become puffed up or out of line with God's word. And, once we find this confidant, we must pay attention to what they tell us about ourselves. As the old saying goes, "It takes a true friend to tell us we have bad breath."
In truth, most of us do not enjoy correction so we tend to only make friends with those who encourage us; those who offer correction, we avoid. Correction deflates our balloon and makes us uncomfortable. Too much correction is perceived as nagging and who wants a friend who nags us all the time. But, wait…isn't our goal to be "molded" into the image of Christ? And, if this friend's correction is scriptural and truthful, isn't it possible that God is using them to be the potter's hands?
According to scriptures, "Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3) Moses is still the only human ever to see the glory of God and humility appears to be a factor in that event. Shouldn't humility be important to us also?
As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Find that friend who is not afraid to speak the word of God into your life and, once found, listen with an open heart. Be not afraid of God's discipline, for he disciplines the ones he loves.
John K ICWAO@hotmail.com
