Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall(NIV)
I heard a true life story from my mum about how pride ruined a man. He was the richest in his church at that time. He was using a Vespa motorbike. That was a special bike for the middle class in the 70/80s.
The big boys used Vespa while the bigger boys used cars. Those that have been around for a while know a Vespa motorbike. This man's tithe was the major financial income of the church.
However, something went wrong in his life and his pastor disciplined him for his misbehaviour. He decided not to come to church again. He knew that it would be difficult paying the pastor's salary since he was the major financier of the church.
After he left, the church's finances took a down turn. It became hard to pay the pastor's salary. The church prayed and trusted God for divine provision.
One day, they saw a man who drove a car into the church premises. The man walked into the church. The Pastor inquired about his identity because he didn't look ordinary. Alas! he was a Naval officer posted to that town. God led him there to join them.
That was how God turned the financial fortune of that church around. This man was so humble that not many around knew his high ranking status in the military. God replaced the Vespa rider with a car owner.
The painful thing in replacement is that God raises a better person to replace the previous person who fails. Just think about Saul and David. Samuel called David "a better neighbour".
In the Hebrew, pride means to lift up self to be equal to. It is puffed up, stiff necked (stubborn) and stuck up. It is an over inflated self-esteem. It is to act arrogantly and is the idolatrous worship of self. Whenever you are not sure about how pride works, remember the story of Lucifer. To be haughty is to be arrogant.
A proud man is always right in his own eyes and he sees others as wrong. Proud people hardly take correction. Pride is a subtle killer. Pride brings the high and mighty down and it also prevents the lowly from rising.
For those that speak proudly, you can easily detect pride in them but there are proud people whose pride doesn't talk but they act it. That's an introverted pride. That's the most dangerous form of pride.
If you will rise in life, you need to deal with pride. It is better for us to humble ourselves instead of God humbling us (1Pet5:6-7, James4:10-11).That may not be a good experience.
God's grace and lifting is only for the humble. If you have risen in life and you don't want to fall, stay humble.
Father, put upon me the garment of humility in Jesus name.