When I was in my middle 20's, I was living in a rebellious state, apart from God, and His will in my life. After being a stay-at-home mom for three years, I was ready to get back into the workforce. I did not have a vehicle of my own, so when I bought a little car I quickly became full of myself, relishing the freedom that it brought.
As spring turned into summer, my new job and new freedom made me feel invincible. But, spiritually, I was crashing. I was so focused on myself, and all the new experiences I was having, that I did not pay attention to the things God was requiring of me. So, one afternoon, being filled with all my 'plans', I loaded up my two very young daughters and headed into town. That was my plan. God's was somewhat different.
At the end of the gravel road on which I lived, two other roads intersected into it, but there were no stop signs on either road. The grass in the fields on either side of the road was fully grown, so I did not see the car turning down the road that I was coming up. In my haste to get where I was going, I had drifted over onto the other side of the road as I made the left-handed turn. I hit the car head-on. I had slowed down enough to stop if I had seen another vehicle, but the tall grass blocked the car from view. But, as I was on the wrong side of the road, that didn't matter.
After making sure my kids were okay, I jumped out, ran around between the cars, wailing about my busted grill. The driver, a man, got out and asked if I was alright, and walked over to look in the window at my girls in the backseat in their car seats. Standing there, thinking how was I now going to get around, I realized how I must look to the passenger in the other car. Guiltily, I walked over and asked the woman if she was alright. I left the accident with a ticket, and a distinct feeling that something inside me was terribly wrong. My selfish reaction to the wreck stayed with me for years. God used that scenario to bring me down a few notches.
After that, my life continued to spiral down, until I returned to the Lord, submissive and obedient, several years later. The pride, the self-centeredness and self-righteousness, that I used to lift myself up, God used to bring me down.
Pride works in the spiritual body the same as the law of gravity works in the physical body. It puffs us up, so that we think we are above others, but like the gas in hot-air balloons, when it runs outs, we come crashing back to earth.
Scripture is full of examples of what pride will do to us if left unchecked. Here are a few:
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 29:23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Obadiah 1:3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”
Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
1 John 2:16-17 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
So, the thing that we believe is lifting us up is actually the force that brings us back down. Even the law of gravity states that 'what goes up must come down.'
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