PROVERBS 16
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. – Proverbs 16:18-25
PROVERBS 16 BE OF LOWLY SPIRIT
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The path of righteousness is one that leads to eternity
While the way of the wicked follows pride leading to ruin
It is wise for the believer to be led by God’s word and laws
And it is better for them to have a lowly spirit so they won’t fall
Pride precedes destruction because it prioritizes the “self”
While the meek and lowly focuses on putting God first.
In this wise saying, we are cautioned against pride. How do we know we are proud since it is in our sin nature? It is important that we do not forget that even though we are believers, we are still going to battle with our flesh, the world and the devil. Most people have a wrong notion of Christianity. They think that Jesus has done everything for them and they don’t need to do anything else. They do not take into account “sanctification” which is the constant cleansing of our hearts, minds, souls and spirits in order for it to be “holy”. God requires his people to be holy because he is holy. He cannot be present to you if you are defiled or corrupted by the world, the flesh and the devil.
One of the hardest things to follow that Jesus sampled for us is “humility.” Many believers do not understand why Christ, who is divine, gave up his divinity and became part of humanity. That is precisely why he chose to be born out of humble circumstances. It is to teach us that material wealth or status or power are all meaningless in the kingdom of God. Most unbelievers do not know that there is eternity to be hopeful about. They live their lives for the world’s standards. Since this world is ruled by Satan himself, they have no clue that they do not see that their life’s destination is not on earth but in eternity.
Pride is one of the manifestations of our sinful state. As long as we live for ourselves, we won’t have an expectancy of the new heaven and the new earth. Our lives will be useless because we don’t see where it is actually heading for. We will be chasing things for the sake of pleasuring ourselves. It is a life of futility where we go around in circles and feel empty and never fulfilled. Only God fulfills us and if we don’t have humility, we are not going to acknowledge the One true God, but make ourselves the center of our lives.
REFLECTION
· Share some insights on pride preceding a fall, ruin or destruction.
