THEM: Pride goes before a fall.
ME: Actually, it says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
*immediately trips over a curb*
@FailingPastor
I consider one of my main jobs to be the preaching of the Word, the whole counsel of God. In order to do that, I came to the startling realization that I better know what’s going on in the Bible.
I know, pretty extreme, but that’s where my brain went.
At a certain point in my career, I decided to read the Bible from cover to cover over and over again. I’ve now read it cover to cover around 40 times. I also began memorizing books of the Bible. I’ve got Romans and Galatians pretty well down.
Yeah, I’m awesome.
I must admit, I’m proud of such feats. It took a lot of work and dedication to do these things, and I continue to do them.
Part of me wants to tell people about my exceptional prowess in taking God’s word seriously. Part of me thinks that since I’ve worked so much with the Bible, people should bow to my understanding of the Bible. “You’ve no doubt never read the Bible like me, so off with you, ya little pretender.”
One evening at a church gathering a guy asked me what Romans 1:25 was. “Pssh, that’s easy,” I thought. “Little does this guy know I have the whole book of Romans in my head.” I proceeded to quote Romans 1:25. “For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made so that they are without excuse.”
Boom! In your face. Now worship my awesomeness!
Instead of worshipping my awesomeness, the guy said, “Uh, I don’t think that’s right.”
The nerve of some people. “Uh, yeah it is.” I persisted.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not,” he, for some reason continued.
I, of course, dismissed him. What does he know? He hasn’t memorized the entire book of Romans. I have. I’ll let him get away with it this time. No sense making someone look bad in front of others.
Later that night, I looked up the verse.
Aw stink.
I quoted Romans 1:20. He was right. I was wrong.
It’s amazing to me the number of times I get proud of an accomplishment and then something in that very area of accomplishment will soon occur to make me look stupid.
I’m not sure what to do about this, other than to never feel proud about anything. Ever. That’s really hard though with my flesh. I have one awesome flesh with awesome abilities to transform any normal situation into a massive sin-fest.
I’m kind of awesome that way.
Oi.
“[A bishop then must not be] a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
–1 Timothy 3:6
Failing Pastor 