“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.” Proverbs 16:18-19

Proverbs 16:1-9, 18-20
The past three years since my stroke have shown me that few things can move a person from pride to humility like suffering. As an attorney, I have been part of a profession known for its pride. Former prisoner and once a successful attorney himself, Chuck Colson explained the danger of pride: It “is the ground in which all other sins grow and the parent from which all other sins come.”
The Bible calls us to be humble (Mark 9:35, Ephesians 4:2) and to battle against the sin of pride (Romans 12:16). “The demon of pride was born with us, and it will not die one hour before us; it is so woven into the very warp and woof of our nature, that till we are wrapped in our winding sheets, we shall never hear the last of it” (Charles Spurgeon, 1884).
When you find your pride being crushed, remember Jesus who was crushed for you. Would you face it willingly, knowing it will produce humility in you? Pray that God will use your suffering to help you in the life-long battle against pride, moving you to humility that honors Him.



Scripture Focus

Proverbs 16:1-9, 18-20

Insight

It just may be that God is using the hardships in our lives to remove our pride and replace it with a gentle and humble spirit.

Bible In A Year

  • Ezekiel 29-30
  • Psalm 145
  • 2 Thessalonians 1-3

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