Confession: I am very reliant on my GPS to get me almost anywhere. I get lost easily, so I am very thankful to live during a time when I can plug in an address on my phone and know that I will get to my intended destination. For example, if I put in the address of a new coffee shop to visit, I am confident that I will end up at said coffee shop if I follow the path that my GPS leads me toward. Unfortunately, life is not always as straightforward. We do not always know the destination that each step we take and every decision we make will lead us to. We do know, however, that there is one attribute that will always lead us to destruction, and that is pride.
Scripture warns us about the dangers of giving in to pride. One of the places where Scripture warns against pride is Proverbs 16. In this passage of Scripture, the writer of this Proverb wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (verse 18). This verse makes it very clear: pride leads down the path of destruction every single time. Every time we allow pride to take over and act and speak out of pride, we will be met with destruction. We do not have to guess the destination that pride leads us toward. We can confidently know it will lead us to destruction. Because pride leads us toward destruction every single time, we must choose a better way to live. Instead of living in pride, Scripture calls us to choose humility. That is why the author of Proverbs 16 concluded, “Better who live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud” (verse 19). Living in humility is always the best way to live.
Unfortunately, humility does not come naturally to us. Pride comes naturally. As a result, we have to choose humility. We have to decide to purposefully live with humility every day, remembering who we are, people in desperate need of a Savior, and who God is. As we choose to focus on humility, pride will slip away because humility and pride cannot coexist. May each one of us choose humility over pride, knowing that pride will lead us toward destruction every single time.
Spend some time right now in prayer. Ask God to reveal any areas of pride in your life. As He reveals any areas of pride in your life, ask Him to help you to let go of that pride. Commit to choosing humility instead of the pride that will lead us on a path of destruction one hundred percent of the time.
6 We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.
2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.
3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
5 The Lord detests the proud;
they will surely be punished.
6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.
7 When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
8 Better to have little, with godliness,
than to be rich and dishonest.
9 We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.
10 The king speaks with divine wisdom;
he must never judge unfairly.
11 The Lord demands accurate scales and balances;
he sets the standards for fairness.
12 A king detests wrongdoing,
for his rule is built on justice.
13 The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;
he loves those who speak honestly.
14 The anger of the king is a deadly threat;
the wise will try to appease it.
15 When the king smiles, there is life;
his favor refreshes like a spring rain.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
and good judgment than silver!
17 The path of the virtuous leads away from evil;
whoever follows that path is safe.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.
19 Better to live humbly with the poor
than to share plunder with the proud.
20 Those who listen to instruction will prosper;
those who trust the Lord will be joyful.
21 The wise are known for their understanding,
and pleasant words are persuasive.
22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it,
but discipline is wasted on fools.
23 From a wise mind comes wise speech;
the words of the wise are persuasive.
24 Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
25 There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.
26 It is good for workers to have an appetite;
an empty stomach drives them on.
27 Scoundrels create trouble;
their words are a destructive blaze.
28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
gossip separates the best of friends.
29 Violent people mislead their companions,
leading them down a harmful path.
30 With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;
with a smirk, they plan their mischief.
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained by living a godly life.
32 Better to be patient than powerful;
better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
33 We may throw the dice,
but the Lord determines how they fall.
