FIRST PRIDE AND THEN THE FALL
A story is told of a plane that suffered engine failing and was quickly falling to the earth. The plane was carrying four passengers that were all running out of time. An even bigger problem was presented when it was realized that there were only three parachutes on board the plane.
One passenger was the pilot of the plane who said to the others, “I must survive in order to report what happened to the plane!” He took a parachute and jumped out.
With only two parachutes and three passengers remaining, one of them stood up, this man was an important politician. He loudly proclaimed to the other two, “I must survive as the world is in desperate need of my brilliance!” He then went for a parachute and jumped out of the plane.
Only two passengers remained, one being an elder in the Lord’s church and the other being a young man, fresh out of college, on his way to backpack through Europe desiring to see the world. The elder said to the young man, “I have lived my life in service to the Lord and He has blessed me with many years. I have seen my children grow up, I have been blessed to meet my grandchildren and even some great grandchildren. But the greatest blessing I received is a relationship with my Lord and a home with Him in Heaven when this life is over. I am old and I have lived my life, you are young, and your life is just beginning. I want you to take the third parachute and save yourself.” This elder obviously had a great love for Christ, but he also a great love for the souls around him included that of this young man. Believing these were his last moments, the elder pulled out his pen, wrote down a name and number, gave it to the young man and said, “Call this number, this man will declare to you a message by which you can be truly saved, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Moved to tears by both the words and actions of the elder, the young man responded, “You can teach me. We are both going to get out of here alive, the politician grabbed my backpack and jumped out.”
There are many great truths found in the word of God that are just as sure as the law of gravity, I want us to consider three at this time…
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”—Proverbs 16:18
The world is full of pride. God has nothing good to say about pride, and even offers a warning here in His word that pride will eventually lead a man to ruin and destruction. If anyone had a reason to be prideful it was Christ, and yet He is the greatest example of humility that ever was and ever will be. We should follow after His example and not those who allowed their pride to move them to crucify the Son of God.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you”—1 Peter 5:6
We can either humble ourselves, or we can be humbled by God. If God has to humble us, we will probably not enjoy where we spend eternity. If we are humble as our Lord is humble, then in due time we will be exalted by the Creator.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.—Philippians 2:3
Christ left His throne in heaven, took on the form of a man, suffered and bled in order to do His Father’s will and save mankind from our sins…what is selfish about that? Just like Christ is our great example of humility, He is also our great example of selflessness. He counted His Father’s will as more significant than His own well-being, and He counted all of us (mankind) as more significant than Himself.
Where there is pride there will be the fall, but where there is humility and obedience to the Lord there will be a resurrection unto eternal life.