“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4 ESV
I have read the book of Proverbs all the way through more than once and if you are like me, I tend to analyze the things I read, looking for the prevailing theme. Well, in Proverbs, I found that almost every single chapter has some sort of warning against arrogance, pride, or a stubborn, hardened heart. The simple and plain truth is that a proud man is a man in extreme danger. A prideful man is standing with a loaded gun pointed right at his heart and he probably doesn't even know it.
The irony of that truth is that from the earliest days of childhood, we have had it drilled into our brain and our hearts that we should take pride in who we are and in the work that we do. Pride is how life is supposed to work in the marketplace. Pride is supposed to drive a man and his work ethic. Pride is what pushes a man to live and perform at a high standard.
When I behave and think that way, I am living by the world's backwards wisdom and not by God's as He reveals to me in His Word. If I live by the standard that GQ sets for me, then it is all about myself and what I can gain from the world through my hard work. It is a selfish doctrine and one that eventually will leave me with a void in my life. But when I read the Bible and follow the teachings of God, mainly humility in all things and knowing it is at the heart of what I need to truly succeed as God has defined it.
Money, possessions, honor, and life. These are all things that the world values and they tell us it all comes from being a self-made man. Yet to be followers of Christ, the men God has intended for us to be, to know that to truly be rich, to have true honor put on us, and to have a everlasting life, we have to understand that these things aren't a result of human pride but of the fear of a God who has promised to bless everyone who humbly rely on Him alone.
I have read the book of Proverbs all the way through more than once and if you are like me, I tend to analyze the things I read, looking for the prevailing theme. Well, in Proverbs, I found that almost every single chapter has some sort of warning against arrogance, pride, or a stubborn, hardened heart. The simple and plain truth is that a proud man is a man in extreme danger. A prideful man is standing with a loaded gun pointed right at his heart and he probably doesn't even know it.
The irony of that truth is that from the earliest days of childhood, we have had it drilled into our brain and our hearts that we should take pride in who we are and in the work that we do. Pride is how life is supposed to work in the marketplace. Pride is supposed to drive a man and his work ethic. Pride is what pushes a man to live and perform at a high standard.
When I behave and think that way, I am living by the world's backwards wisdom and not by God's as He reveals to me in His Word. If I live by the standard that GQ sets for me, then it is all about myself and what I can gain from the world through my hard work. It is a selfish doctrine and one that eventually will leave me with a void in my life. But when I read the Bible and follow the teachings of God, mainly humility in all things and knowing it is at the heart of what I need to truly succeed as God has defined it.
Money, possessions, honor, and life. These are all things that the world values and they tell us it all comes from being a self-made man. Yet to be followers of Christ, the men God has intended for us to be, to know that to truly be rich, to have true honor put on us, and to have a everlasting life, we have to understand that these things aren't a result of human pride but of the fear of a God who has promised to bless everyone who humbly rely on Him alone.
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