5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5 NIV
What the Lord Detests
Isn’t it interesting that the Lord actually detests that which our culture embraces. Our verse today tells us that there will be punishment for those that are proud. Their downfall is coming. They will not go unpunished.
Overrated Self-esteem
We live in a world that encourages our schoolchildren to have their egos and self-esteem built up at all costs. A child merely shows up at a school event to receive an award of attendance, a trophy for participation only, and lavish praise for quite often very little accomplishment.
Before we exclusively blame our schoolteachers, do we not do the same thing as parents?
Do we fear stunting our children’s esteem and so often raise a generation of children who feel entitled to everything with no input or hard work?
Prideful Children, Prideful Adults
Someone once said that we need to pat our children on the back but sometimes we neglect to pat them low enough and hard enough to teach them well. The image might make us smile.
Yet, the Bible is most serious as it tells us that as parents we are to raise up our children by teaching them of the Lord. (See Ephesians 6:4)
We are also told in Scripture that parents are not to neglect to punish their children when needed. (See Proverbs 13:24 and Proverbs 29:15.)
Egos in the Workplace
Adults, however, are not to get off easily either.
The mindset of some is to do as little as possible in work and good deeds but to make it look like as much as possible.
Have you ever paid a professional to write as glowing a resume for you as possible and to polish your accomplishments to a dazzling level? Perhaps you volunteered for a well-known organization for the express purpose of putting the membership and service on your resume. Humans take exorbitant pride in our education and accomplishments.
Do you find yourself thinking that you are proud of your work to the degree of looking down on others? Such thinking leads to our downfall.
Here, however, is the solution.
Humility comes before honor.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12 NIV
We don’t often praise humility as was done a few generations ago.
Where today are humility, honesty, and a quiet spirit?
Are they sought after, praised, or valued today?
Who Will You Follow?
Have we looked at the charismatic individual as the one to follow? Does the loud and boastful personality, the joking, sarcastic tone attract you? Does that one that draws others in the crowd and gets the most laughs strike you as the one to emulate?
Do you find that the story that is the most exaggerated, if not outright lie, attracts your attention and admiration?
Copying such behavior leads to our own downfall.
What of the one who speaks simply the quiet word of truth? What of the simple, hard worker?
Following Jesus
I think of Jesus as the One Who had the most right to boast, yet never did so.
He was humble to the point of lying down His life for the sinners of the world.
He did all that He did in perfect, holy Love.
Who better to obey and honor?
Who better deserves our admiration, respect, love, and following?
Let Others Shout Our Praise
Lastly, the Bible tells us we are to let others praise us. Praise that comes from our own mouths is not really praising at all. Self-praise is a pitiful attempt at self-glorification.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. Proverbs27:2 KJV
When we truly deserve praise, it will come.
Perhaps, we will wait until we go Home to the Lord, and hear the greatest praise of all.
…”Well done, thou good and faithful servant...”Matthew 25:21 KJV
No praise will be sweeter to hear!
It will be worth the wait!