As we age, the tendency in each of our lives is to look back with pride at what we have accomplished. Often, that is a false sense of accomplishment, as we tend to remember the accolades, rather than the pitfalls. When my Mom was nearing death, she told me that she had not accomplished anything. Her humbleness reflected that of our Lord, as the closer my Mom got to death, the sweeter her walk with the Lord became. She may not have made a mark on the world in terms of being famous, but she famously loved her children unconditionally, which had been her priority. In so doing, each of our accomplishments are also hers. In that sense, the legacy lives on.
Years ago, I set a goal of climbing Mt. Everest. With the world’s highest mountain growing by a few inches a year, I knew that the moment I would stand on the summit I would have climbed higher than anyone else before me! My love for the mountains was at the heart of that goal, but there was something else driving me. Upon some deep, inner reflection, I realized that I wanted to have a special accomplishment to mark my life when it was over, something to put on my headstone. What I finally realized was that I rather would be remembered for my love of God, love of family and love of friends than for some athletic feat. I still love to climb, but the lofty goals are gone.
When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, she desired wisdom, to be like God in that regard. If you remember yesterday’s devotional, Lucifer had the same desire, to be “like the Most High.” Ironically, true wisdom is following the ways of God rather than rocking the boat and rebelling against Him. Paul tells us of people with worldly intelligence, who do not follow God:
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools…
Romans 1:22
A part of that “pride of life” is taking credit for the gifts that only God can give. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Satan attempted to ensnare Jesus with this strategy. That temptation is depicted by both Matthew and Luke, though the second and third temptations are in a different order in the two books. Let’s look at Luke:
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’
Luke 4:9-12
God gave Jesus the gift of life and to flaunt that would be acting in a prideful manner. We know that Jesus had every reason to be filled with pride, unlike us, yet still He was the most humble of men. Regardless of your status in life, God has placed you into that role. We know that God appoints kings and countries. There are no accidents. He has gifted you with all of your skills and abilities. What part of that tells us that we should be proud of our accomplishments? When we get to heaven, any crown that we “earned,” we will cast at the feet of Jesus, for we finally will understand that all we “accomplished” was His accomplishment, His gift.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 16:18-19
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