READING: Genesis 11-13, Matthew 5:1-30
Some years ago, a brother in Christ said to me about a difficult church situation, “I cannot believe anybody would act that arrogantly. Surely we have the facts wrong.” To be honest, this brother’s concern caused me to check the facts again (and, we were indeed correct). Since that time, though, I’ve learned even more that the human heart—beginning with mine—can be incredibly prideful. We put ourselves on a throne that belongs only to God.
Few episodes in the scriptures are as illustrative of this truth as is the story of the Tower of Babel. Just listen to the words of the people—words that clearly reveal their heart: “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves . . .” (Gen 11:4). They did not want to follow God’s plan to fill the earth (Gen 1:28), so they attempted to build their own city to prevent their scattering. So great was their pride that they wanted to build a tower that essentially reached heaven.
Lest we harshly judge the people of that day, however, we really do need to remember that we can be equally arrogant. We do a lot of “building” to make a name for ourselves.
PRAYER: “Father, show me my own arrogance.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Check your own heart for arrogance. Then, ask somebody who knows you well whether you exhibit any level of arrogance.
TOMORROW’S READING: Genesis 14:1-17:14, Matthew 5:31-6:15