Painful Pride
One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. ~Proverbs 29:23 (ESV)
I had to go to the Chiropractor. He has a history of making me feel a whole lot better after I see him. This time I made the appointment because my right shoulder was killing me. It was so uncomfortable to sleep that I had to do something.
My chiropractor/magician squeezed my shoulder for a minute and asked me to lay face down on his table. He adjusted my elbow and I slept comfortably that night and every night since!
I am still amazed when things are not what they seem. More amazing is that there’s someone who has the ability to see things as they are.
Often, when I’m uncomfortable it isn’t physical pain but things going on in the brain or emotions that are bothering me and it seems like one thing when it’s another. It can take me a long time to see it.
Sometimes in my reading of God’s Word I realize that there is something I should do; make an apology, call someone who’s hard for me to talk to, get into or out of a ministry because that’s what God wants, or change the wording of something I’m writing. God has given me many clear directions from His word.
Though I know what God has said, for some reason I’m uncomfortable with it. I think, “that’s the work or the call or the need of someone else.” “What will others think or say if I do this?” “Where will I find the time to do one more thing?” “The wording I have now will do.”
Though these things appear to be the problem, it is usually something deeper. It is not the current “pain” I’m feeling, that’s just a symptom of a deeper issue – like the shoulder and the elbow.
The problem for me in these instances of defying God is my pride.
In these moments, I seem to think that the Creator of the Universe should not have the last word with me. In the moment I think that I know better than He does who I need to apologize to, serve, or work with.
Even in my writing, should I not listen to the One for whom I am teaching? Is good enough, good enough if God has clearly shown me a better way to say something?
God’s Word has much to say about our pride. It also tells us that all the instruction He gives us is for our good.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. ~Proverbs 11:2 (ESV)
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. ~Proverbs 13:10 (WEB)
Like me, do you sometimes question God’s leading as if you know better than He does? Will you reread these verses and then revisit those leadings of the Lord and the desire to resist Him?
He is the only one who really sees things as they are, chiropractors not excepted
I love serving Jesus Christ as one who “feeds His sheep”. It is my desire to teach God’s Word diligently, with reverence and awe for the Source of the truths I teach, and with an engaging, and sometimes witty, delivery so that the hearers will not just listen but do what it says.
- For Our Good - February 12, 2020
- Future Benefits - January 8, 2020
- Attention Getting Behavior - October 16, 2019
Ha! This made me laugh only because I saw myself all over it. My reasoning is very sound…’after all, God, you gave me this brain so what I just wrote MUST be right.’ My own flattery of myself keeps me from seeing the prideful sin in that reasoning. Thanks for reminding me that this sinful ‘force is strong in me!’