Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
GEMS FROM PROVERBS - 2
Gems of true wisdom do not fill the head of fallen man. Rocks do.
To accept every idea that comes from today's "thinkers" is like picking up every pretty rock on the south shore of Lake Superior while looking for an agate. There are no rocks at all in Proverbs -- only gems! Against these gems of true wisdom every rock may be compared and found lacking.
One such "pretty" rock is "self-esteem." This rock is pretty; it has a certain appeal to natural man. He wants to be humored rather than corrected, honored rather than despised, and to feel proud of himself rather than humble. But there is a fatal flaw in this rock as revealed in today's Proverb gem.
Nowhere in all the wisdom of the inspired Solomon can one find a single word that teaches self-esteem. To the contrary: "Pride goes before destruction" (16:8). Self-pride lifts the human soul too high for God to reach! He looks to those who are in the depths, and turns His face from those who lift themselves up: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). The self-proud will be brought low, not only before men but before God.
It is true that people need to "feel good" about themselves, to know that they are of value. But real value is not something that any human being needs to assign to himself in mounting pride. God has already placed an inestimable value and honor upon every man, woman, and child -- that price is the holy, precious blood of the only-begotten Son of God spent for sinners!
Since God Himself has honored him with forgiveness of sins, life, salvation and every blessing in Christ, the believer regards and conducts himself as neither "worthless" nor "worthy" -- but as one who is loved by God, saved, and victorious in this life and in the life to come!
