Pride and Self-Destruction

The sad tale of the governor of New York presents a powerful example of the truths of the Bible. Both King David, a man after God's heart, and his son, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gave great teachings and testimonies concerning pride. And the lessons they taught are universal and timeless. For the heart of man has not changed since the days of Adam. Likewise, the ruler of this world and his deceptive wiles have never changed. He is always hard at work to use man's nature to turn him from the saving grace of God toward eternal destruction.

In Psalm 10 David tells us,

The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

And Solomon gives his most well known piece of advice in Proverbs 16:18,

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Many who have known, worked with, or had dealings with the former Governor have testified that he was a man completely consumed with arrogance and pride. Even the prostitutes he dealt with told reporters that he was their most difficult customer because of his ego and arrogant demands.

The most important lessons we can learn from this sad situation is the well know confession, "But for the grace of God, there go I." For we are all sons of Adam, and therefore susceptible to the never ending, crafty wiles of Satan. And Paul tells us throughout his epistles that we are too weak to save ourselves. It is only the grace of the almighty God bestowed on us through the love of Jesus Christ that can provide us with the strength to resist the temptations of the flesh. By remaining in the faith of Christ as our hope and strength, we continue to receive power by the Holy Spirit to stand in the face of the Evil One.

The other lesson to be learned from this is to remember that Paul, James, and John tell us to pray for our leaders; both civil and spiritual. And to pray for each other. They more we pray for all those who touch our lives in any way, the more power we receive from God through the Holy Spirit, and the less power Satan has in this world.

Let us pray that the fallen may will be lifted up by Jesus; and pray that we might be the next victim of pride.

May God's grace be with you.

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