Pride Goes Before Destruction
A guest post by Chase Green.
She had just commented to herself and others, “I’ve never struck out in all my high school softball career.” The pitcher threw a heater. Strike one. “No problem,” she thought. “I’ve still got two strikes left.”
Fastball (and strike) number two. “How did I miss that?” Then it happened. The pitcher released a changeup that would have made Hank Aaron look like an amateur as he swung out of his shoes! And out of her shoes she swung! Strike three!
The number of strikeouts in her high school career now stood at one. Chalk that one up to foolish pride. (Inspired by true events).
The Bible teaches in Proverbs 16:18 that “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” Apparently, it sometimes goes before strikeouts too!
We have all been there. Maybe it’s, “I have made all ‘A’s all quarter,” only to receive a ‘B’ on the final exam. Maybe it’s, “I am the highest grossing salesman this company has seen in years,” only to be laid off. Or perhaps it’s, “I am absolutely sure of it,” only to find out that you were wrong. Regardless of the details, we’ve all been there some way, somehow.
But at the root of every sin so often is pride. The middle letter in “sin” (and “pride”) is ‘I.’ “Listen to what ‘I’ want.” “Look at what ‘I’ have done!” “Look at what ‘I’ have accomplished!” “‘I’ think this.” “‘I’ feel that!” ‘I,’ ‘I,’ ‘I!’
“A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin” (Prov. 21:4). “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom” (Prov. 11:2). “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Prov. 18:12). “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Pride feeds into destructive sinful lifestyles. Pride says, “Look at me!” when we should be looking at Him (Heb. 12:1-2). Pride makes one think he can stand on his own two feet, while the Bible warns, “beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (2 Peter 3:17). Pride goes before destruction. A haughty spirit leads to a fall.
“Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).
Chase Green is a good friend that I spent some time with in preaching school - he graduated in the class before me. Chase preaches for the Marietta Church of Christ in Marietta, Oklahoma.
Chase hosts the Everyday Christian podcast with the Scattered Abroad Network.