Pride and Punishment

Have you ever felt as if you were in the middle of something so much larger than yourself? Whenever we’re in a daunting situation our true character seems to show. If you’re a professing Christian you know it’s in times like these we rely on God’s power to outshine our own abilities and to get us through. 2 Chronicles 26 tells us a story about King Uzziah of Judah that I believe we can all relate to. Now, I understand none of us were called to lead a nation at age sixteen as Uzziah was, but no matter how old we are we have been called to do something outside of our own power. Let’s take a look at a few lessons we can learn from this selection of scripture. We’ll start in verse 5…

“ Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.” (2 Chron. 26:5, NLT).

The Power of Positive Influence

It’s clear after reading this verse that Uzziah was influenced and guided strongly by a man named Zechariah. In life it seems as if everything and everyone is battling for our attention and our devotion. Many times I’ve sat down to read my Bible and pray but have found myself distracted by a newsfeed or funny video. We can clearly see early on Uzziah was guided positively by Zechariah and was taught to give full devotion to God.  As a Christ follower it’s so important you become involved with a mentor or support community (the church) where your faith is grown and built up, not hindered and diminished. As Uzziah was new in his kingship, we see his devotion to God brought him success. In the verses following we can read about his many victories over all kinds of enemies. Verse 7 states that “God helped him in his wars…”. A positive influence can build our faith and devotion hence making us stronger Christians. When we’re  taught to live closely with God, we begin to radiate of his goodness and power. Defeating our enemies even when we’re outnumbered is only one of the good things that come from walking close with him.

Continuing on, we see that Uzziah grew stronger and stronger in the Lord and so did Jerusalem. His devotion led to prosperity in many areas. He had fortified walls of protection and herds of livestock. Not only that, but he had an army fit for battle at his command. Verse 16 says the Lord gave him marvelous help and he became powerful. This leads me to my next point…

The Power of Fighting With Him and Not Against Him

Side note if I may add. Can I just suggest the importance of fighting with the Lord and not against him? What other force can defeat an army of 135,000 with 300 (Gideon). What other God can part a sea? God shows up to fight for his children, and sometimes he does it in ways that are beyond our own strength and understanding. In verse 16, the word “marvelous” can be translated in another way as to say “to be beyond one’s power.” Whenever we are devoted to God, we can be sure our walls will be fortified, our fields will reap a harvest, and our battle armor will be sufficient. Through God we have everything we need to live comfortably and bountifully.  Not only that, but God extends us power beyond our own strength. Whenever you’re facing a struggle, you may not be able to sustain the blows, but know that God’s power will protect you.  In closing, let’s focus on verse 16:

“But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.” (2 Chron. 26:16, NLT)

Pride – The Ceiling Which Limits Our Success

Have you ever heard anyone say, “the power went straight to his head?”. Well, that seems to be the case here. The problem with power is that it can lead to pride. When pride is engaged it severely limits our effectiveness and growth in God.  Becoming prideful will lead to our downfall as well. There is nothing wrong with power (as we can see), but we must never forget the source of our power – it is not from ourselves! God breathes power and authority into us and without him guiding it, our hearts and minds tend to misuse and abuse the privilege. I look at pride as the ceiling which limits our success.  When we give God the glory and understand he is the source, he will breathe more and more life into us. This breath will expand our lung capacity and we will become stronger, worthy of carrying more of his power.

In closing, here are three challenges I give to you

Pray for a mentor, be hungry for growth. We never grow when we’re not learning., and we’re not learning if we’re not being challenged. A spiritual mentor will enable your faith to grow stronger and more effectively. Some would refer to this process as “discipleship”. Pray to God to come across someone who has been in the faith for awhile and leads a life devoted to God alone. Pour out your heart to them and be hungry for spiritual growth.Fortify yourself. Whenever we grow spiritually we can be sure Satan is close by. Just as Uzziah knew the importance of a well developed military and strong protection, we should feel the same way about our faith. Surround yourself in the word of God knowing that as your faith increases it must be protected from attacks by the enemy.Realize your weaknesses. As you’re growing and developing, it’s vital to never forget your weak spots. I’m not saying beat yourself up about the past, but what I am saying is know that Satan has a way of using your weakness to destroy your growth. For Uzziah it was pride, what is it for you?