Pride Path or Humility Way?
Pride leads to destruction; humility leads to honor.
This verse should be read with the two preceding verses. In verse 10 Solomon taught us that the confidence of the righteous is accurately placed in God and in His ability. When the righteous are in trouble they run to God and He becomes their strong tower of protection. On the other hand, in verse 11 Solomon taught us that many wealthy people make the mistake of putting their trust in riches. Instead of running to God, they lean on their money, because they find it hard to trust in anyone but themselves and their own ability.
So this is the picture Solomon has painted for us: one who trusts in God and His ability; and the other who trusts only in himself and his abilities. This is the setting for our verse this morning. As we read it we see the end result of the two divergent paths - one leads to destruction, the other to honor.
Which one do you want to travel down? Before you answer that, let's take a closer look at the two key words in our text: pride and humility. I looked up these words in Noah Webster's American dictionary of the English Language (1828). This version is often very different from our modern versions. This is what Noah Webster said back then:
Pride: Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealthy, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.
Humility: In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth. In theology, humility consists of lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will.
I wish our dictionaries today read like that. Webster helps us better understand what we already know; and that is that some place far too much emphasis on themselves, while others trust and lean on God, getting Him involved in every area and aspect of their lives. Believe me, I know from personal experience that if we choose to do things on our own and to leave God out of picture, that He will simply stand by and watch as we needlessly overexert ourselves. He will allow whatever we allow. He will permit whatever we permit.
He is not going to force Himself on us, but He will willingly get involved when we welcome Him in.
Don't allow pride to keep you from asking for God's help and when you do welcome Him to get involved, have the confidence that He will. Being humble doesn't mean that you lack confidence. I like to say that humility is controlled confidence; it is confidence pointed in the right direction. When you walk with God you should be completely confident in Him and in what He has blessed you to do.
Your relationship with the Father can enable you to be both bold and humble at the same time.
This way you avoid pride, because pride focuses its confidence in self, while humility focuses its confidence in God and the abilities that He has blessed us to possess.
So what does this mean to you ? It means that these two divergent paths lead to two very different places and they will provide very different experiences along the way. Do you want to travel down Pride Path or Humility Way? The choice is yours.
Father, I thank You for reminding me that pride leads to destruction and that humility leads to honor. I choose Humility Way this morning. I put my trust and confidence in You, in Your abilities, and in the abilities You have blessed me to possess. Even when faced with something that You clearly want ME to do, I still look to You because I know that You blessed me to be able to do it. I don't lean on the arm of the flesh. I don't place my trust in my abilities or possessions alone. I confidently believe that You will continually use me for Your glory and that You will show Yourself strong in my life over and over again. I have overwhelming confidence, but it is placed in the right direction - towards YOU! In Jesus' name. Amen!
Pride leads to destruction; humility leads to honor.
This verse should be read with the two preceding verses. In verse 10 Solomon taught us that the confidence of the righteous is accurately placed in God and in His ability. When the righteous are in trouble they run to God and He becomes their strong tower of protection. On the other hand, in verse 11 Solomon taught us that many wealthy people make the mistake of putting their trust in riches. Instead of running to God, they lean on their money, because they find it hard to trust in anyone but themselves and their own ability.
So this is the picture Solomon has painted for us: one who trusts in God and His ability; and the other who trusts only in himself and his abilities. This is the setting for our verse this morning. As we read it we see the end result of the two divergent paths - one leads to destruction, the other to honor.
Which one do you want to travel down? Before you answer that, let's take a closer look at the two key words in our text: pride and humility. I looked up these words in Noah Webster's American dictionary of the English Language (1828). This version is often very different from our modern versions. This is what Noah Webster said back then:
Pride: Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealthy, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.
Humility: In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth. In theology, humility consists of lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will.
I wish our dictionaries today read like that. Webster helps us better understand what we already know; and that is that some place far too much emphasis on themselves, while others trust and lean on God, getting Him involved in every area and aspect of their lives. Believe me, I know from personal experience that if we choose to do things on our own and to leave God out of picture, that He will simply stand by and watch as we needlessly overexert ourselves. He will allow whatever we allow. He will permit whatever we permit.
He is not going to force Himself on us, but He will willingly get involved when we welcome Him in.
Don't allow pride to keep you from asking for God's help and when you do welcome Him to get involved, have the confidence that He will. Being humble doesn't mean that you lack confidence. I like to say that humility is controlled confidence; it is confidence pointed in the right direction. When you walk with God you should be completely confident in Him and in what He has blessed you to do.
Your relationship with the Father can enable you to be both bold and humble at the same time.
This way you avoid pride, because pride focuses its confidence in self, while humility focuses its confidence in God and the abilities that He has blessed us to possess.
So what does this mean to you ? It means that these two divergent paths lead to two very different places and they will provide very different experiences along the way. Do you want to travel down Pride Path or Humility Way? The choice is yours.
Father, I thank You for reminding me that pride leads to destruction and that humility leads to honor. I choose Humility Way this morning. I put my trust and confidence in You, in Your abilities, and in the abilities You have blessed me to possess. Even when faced with something that You clearly want ME to do, I still look to You because I know that You blessed me to be able to do it. I don't lean on the arm of the flesh. I don't place my trust in my abilities or possessions alone. I confidently believe that You will continually use me for Your glory and that You will show Yourself strong in my life over and over again. I have overwhelming confidence, but it is placed in the right direction - towards YOU! In Jesus' name. Amen!
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