Humility over Pride
“Obviously, that person is having so many problems in their life as a direct result of all the bad decisions they are making. There are consequences for actions, and she is dealing with failures and struggling with difficulties as a direct result of her poor choices in life. Obviously.”
This thought is quickly followed by another”
“Of course, I have made better choices in my life and therefore have had far less problems to deal with. I’ve had more blessings than burdens as a result of my actions that have delivered better consequences. God must be rewarding me for being so virtuous. Of course.”
This comparative thought process may sound transparently contrived for the purpose of illustration; however, deciding that God has blessed our lives due to our own righteousness can certainly become a temptation. Although it is true that there are consequences for actions, determining that we are bypassing hardships as some type of reward or that we are receiving favor from God as a result of our own goodness can lead to the danger of pride.
This is not a new temptation that has suddenly developed in recent years. As a matter of fact, God’s people were warned against this very harmful attitude centuries ago.
In Deuteronomy, Moses addresses God’s chosen people, the Israelite nation. He has some words of warning before they enter the land that has been promised to them. In an effort for them to learn to rely fully on God, these people have been wandering around, following God in the wilderness. As they approach the time to end their ambling and settle in the land of milk and honey, Moses reminds and admonishes them of some things. He gives one caution against wrong thinking in Deuteronomy 8:11-14: “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes … then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God” (NASB). In verses 17 and 18, he cautions, “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’” Then, in 9:4, he advises against believing their success at driving other nations out is “because of my righteousness.”
So, what is the safeguard against prideful righteousness? Repeatedly in Moses’ sermons in Deuteronomy, the people are told to keep the commandments of God. Obedience to God would show the surrounding nations that the Israelite people were wise and understanding people. The purpose of this observation was to highlight their greatness (Deut. 4:6). They were not to be considered great because of anything upstanding about themselves, though. Rather, they would be recognized as such because of how great God is (4:7-8). They are to remember, therefore, not only who God is, but also what He has done for them. That remembrance was to prompt them to both obedience and worship of Him alone, and none other.
The Israelites were led by God in the wilderness for 40 years (quite a bit longer than the 11 days that a direct route would have required) specifically so that He could humble them. Exodus 13:17 tells us that God purposely delayed His people’s entrance into the promised land because they were not yet prepared and ready to receive His blessing. Instead, he tested them in order to reveal the condition of their hearts and their potential for obedience. The discipline they received was to help them become aware of and practice their ability to keep His commandments (Deut. 8:1-6).
In the same way, we should recall who God is and what He has done for us, remembering that our blessings are a result of His righteousness and not our own. Instead of puffing ourselves up pridefully and patting ourselves on the back for our good fortune in life as a result of being so honorable, we ought to stop comparing ourselves to others. Instead, we must recognize the importance to still heed God’s word in obedience today. We will find God when we seek Him, just as the Israelites were promised in Deut. 4:7, as long as we search with all our heart and soul. Perhaps if we will humble ourselves enough to seek Him this diligently, we will not fall prey to the prideful thoughts of comparison that elevate us into congratulating ourselves for our obedience. It is our obedience, after all, that God requires of us. He is worthy of our obedience and worship, because of who He is and all He has done, not because of anything about ourselves.
