“A colonel in the Army was in his office. A private knocked on his door. Wanting to impress the private, the colonel picked up the phone and started talking while waving this private into his office. The colonel stated, ‘Yes, Mr. President. I will get on this right away. You have the right man for the job. Thank you for thinking of me. By the way, give my best to the First Lady,’ and hung up the phone.
“The colonel then turned to the private and shouted in a harsh tone, ‘What do you want!’
“The private said, ‘Nothing sir. I am just here to fix the phone’” (“Thinking You Are Important”).
Throwing your weight around because you have a top position on your job, are from a prominent family, live in a mansion on the hill, hold a coveted leadership position in your community, and the list goes on, will not get you into God’s Kingdom because He frowns upon arrogance. Romans 12:3 (ESV) affirms, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Make no mistake; God punishes arrogance because He said, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5 ESV). When you let arrogance take over your life, negative consequences will soon follow. Most people will tend to avoid you. Great opportunities will pass you by because no one will want to bow down to your “Holier than Thou” attitude! Eventually, your proclaimed happiness will wane. Ultimately, you will bring shame to yourself and your family. In other words, your arrogance will eventually run out and bring you to ruin. Although God hates and punishes arrogance, He loves and rewards humility. James 4:10 (ESV) declares, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Please think on these important words of wisdom that I leave with you: Be careful how you look down on those who are less fortunate than you as you climb the ladder of success, for you will meet those same people on your way back down. If you want God to answer your prayers and give you peace and healing, practice humility, not arrogance. Remember that compassion and humility will make you one of God’s chosen ones. You must answer the Master’s call to die one day, so remember you will have to give an account of your sins.
Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
