The Pit of Pride

The ole axiom is very familiar: Pride comes before a fall.

The Biblical basis for this general principle is clear. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (NIV).

Of course, we can see this truth unfold in the trenches of life repeatedly. Just take the national sports media and the New Orleans Saints, for example. It seems everyone started talking about a Super Bowl "hangover" for the Saints when the NFL season rolled around this year. Why? Simple: After a huge victory, a team usually suffers a great let-down because they drop their guard, lose their hunger, etc. We might say that our farthest fall naturally comes after our highest climb. Or, the deepest valley follows the tallest peak.

But we don't see this illustrated only in the sports world. We can see it plainly illustrated in the Scriptures as well. In fact, Paul says in Romans 15:4, "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (NIV).

It's been well-said that the best commentary on the Bible is the the Bible! So where can we find something in the Scriptures to illustrate The Pit of Pride? We have to look no further than 2 Chronicles 26 and the story of king Uzziah of Judah.

Second Chronicles 26:1-15a recounts Uzziah's success. Of course, all of his success came from God (see 2 Chronicles 26:5b). But Uzziah fell into The Pit of Pride. He allowed his acheivements to go to his head instead of acknowledging that they all came from God.

This is precisely where we find a stretch of some of the saddest words in all of Scripture. Second Chronicles 26:15b-16a tells us, "[Uzziah's] fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall" (NIV).

So what happened to Uzziah? Well, he simply "got too big for his pants." According to 2 Chronicles 26:16b-23, Uzziah entered the Temple and tried to offer incense - a function reserved for the priests alone. When we was rebuked for his sin, he became enraged, and God struck him with a vile skin disease.

This is where the story gets even more sad because Uzziah fell from being on top of the world to being diseased and alone. Second Chronicles 26:21a says, "King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house -- leprous, and excluded from the temple of the Lord" (NIV).

Here's a grim glimpse of a man in The Pit of Pride - diseased, dying, and alone. The Pit of Pride isn't a place anyone wants to be.

So how can we avoid The Pit of Pride? Let's consider a few action-steps we can take in our daily lives to avoid The Pit of Pride...

1. Give God all glory. First Corinthians 10:31 teaches us to glorify God in everything we do. Proverbs 3:5-7 instructs us to acknowledge God in all our ways, and James 1:17 reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from our heavenly Father.

2. Acknowledge God's Power. Psalm 127:1 says that unless God builds the house, all our labor is in vain. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:7 that those who plant and water the seed are nothing; rather, only God who makes things grow is Something, and Jesus isn't being modest but realistic when He says in John 15:5b that we can do nothing without Him.

3. Follow God's Word. God told Joshua in Joshua 1:7 to obey carefully everything in His Word and not to turn to the left nor to the right. David advised his son Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22:13 to observe all God's instructions which He gave to Moses, and Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:4 that we live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Of course, living in obedience to God's Word doesn't guarantee that we'll never experience pain in this life. Actually, Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (NIV). But we can be assured that if we live according to the compass of the truth of God's Word, we'll avoid The Pit of Pride.

So let's take to heart Peter's words in 1 Peter 5:5b-6 when he says, "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (NIV).

Peter knows first-hand about the dangers of The Pit of Pride. Do you remember how Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat? And do you recall how Peter said he would be willing to go to prison for Christ or to be put to death for Him (see Luke 22:31-33)?

Of course, we know the story: Peter did deny Jesus, and he wept bitterly because of it (see Luke 22:61-62). But we also know from Peter's story that there's life on the other side of The Pit of Pride! Jesus restored Peter (see John 21:15-22). And among other things, God used him to preach the inaugural sermon of the Church on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:14-41).

If you're in The Pit of Pride today, you can get out of it by doing the opposite of the way you got into the pit. Just think about it: You entered the pit through pride; you exit the pit through humility. Look back at Peter's words above from 1 Peter 5:6. His point is simple and clear: Humble yourself, and God will lift you up!