2 Chronicles 26:3-5, 16 – “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He followed God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed the Lord, God caused him to succeed… ¹⁶ But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He disobeyed the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar.”

I spent a restless night, and as I awoke, I was drawn to the reality of 2 Chronicles 26, specifically about King Uzziah.   He became king at 16 and reigned for 52 years.   He followed the LORD, and (v.5) says, “As long as he followed the LORD, God caused him to succeed.”   He became famous and received much support. Life was good.    Then, in verse 16, we read, “But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him.”

I heard in my heart, “Pride is seldom a problem when we are weak, facing problems, and need help.”    Pride grows when we achieve victories and accomplishments, and think we did it ourselves.   Pride is dependent only on the self.   Humility depends on God. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  King Saul fell when he stopped seeing himself as small.   It is a repeated event in life, the Bible, and human history.

Pride is a spiritual cancer that blocks a true view of self, others, and God. It deceives the heart and mind, elevating the self to the center. It fills the heart with entitlement – I deserve it because of who I am. You owe me because… (insert anything there).

Spiritual victories can become seed beds for Pride.   Pride trusts the flesh and forgets the beginning.   Pridefulness is a painfully lonely life. It trusts no one, depends on no one, inordinately loves itself, and is selfish. Pride demands to be served; humility serves.

A heart filled with pride is spiritually blind, indifferent, hard, and harsh. It is intolerant and unfeeling of the needs of others. The self is the center, and it dethrones God in the heart.  Pride, human selfish Pride, will not inherit the kingdom.

It would behoove us to reread and meditate on the Beatitudes.   We have nothing we did not receive from God.   Therefore, it is not us but Him and His Grace. He must increase, but I must decrease.

Let’s be grateful and bold but not prideful and arrogant. Pride destroys, love and humility restore!

May your day be filled with His presence and, in humility, receive His matchless grace!