Sitting in a hot Wal-Mart parking lot, I seethed with frustration after accidentally locking my keys in my truck. The locksmith had been delayed for hours, and I couldn’t help but feel like my time was being wasted. My attitude quickly soured as I thought, I don’t deserve this.
Just then, a man with a black eye and ragged clothes asked me for money. My anger subsided as I handed him a few bills. Suddenly, I felt convicted—what made my life more important than his? If God wanted me to wait, that was His prerogative. I realized I needed to trust that God had my best interests in mind, even if I wasn’t happy.
This situation revealed the deeper problem of pride in my heart. Pride is more than impatience; it’s the root of all sin. John Stott said, “Pride is the essence of all sin.” It can creep into our motivations, like ambition or competitiveness, and lead us to glorify ourselves rather than God.
In the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride led to his downfall. Despite experiencing God’s power, he declared, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built by my power?” (Daniel 4:30). His pride caused God to remove his sovereignty until he repented.
When I reflect on my pride, I remember that day in the parking lot. It was a wake-up call that humility and repentance are key to restoring our relationship with God.
