Today’s Reading, Ezekiel 28-30
Focal Scripture: Ezekiel 28:2 “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.” Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.”
You need confidence in life to be successful. Confidence allows you to try new things. It also allows you to not fear failure. However, arrogance is when you believe that you are the answer to every problem. It is when you believe you alone are the person who can save an institution or a group of people. Confidence inspires others. Arrogance tears others down.
In today’s reading we see that when a person is arrogant they have a proud heart. They put themselves in the place of God. They forget their limitations as a human. To make matters worse they regard their knowledge and heart as the answer to every question. This attitude will lead to self destruction. It will also lead to the destruction of the people who will follow. It won’t happen right away but it will happen.
I have seen arrogance before from others. It is a sight to behold. One of the most arrogant statements I have ever heard from a leader happened when they compared themselves to Moses. They actually said “Just like Moses was the only one to lead the people to the promised land, I am the only person who can lead these people. They just have to do what I say.” They believed they were the only person who had good ideas. If you disagreed with them, you were called an enemy. You were then blacklisted because you questioned what this leader said.
To combat this you must have a heart that is confident in God and not yourself. The example above is not normal from leaders. Most godly leaders know that their strength comes from the Lord not themselves. They trust the ideas and insights of others. They build everyone up even if it goes against their plans. If you are a leader or know of a leader who is arrogant, know this truth, you will be judged severely and you will be exposed. When you put your desires above God it makes your heart proud.
I challenge you today to have people around you that will be honest with you about your heart. People who will expose your arrogance. A leader who believes they have it all together is a leader that will fall sooner or later. It is a leader who will try to destroy others. It is a leader who will find fault in everything a person does because their hearts are full of arrogance.
This is not the way of a believer. God warns us numerous times that this is a sin and will be exposed. Let us be confident in God and not ourselves. Humility in God matters more than success in the world.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Ezekiel 31-33
