Today’s reading: Esther 5:9-14; Proverbs 8:13
Haman provides us with a detailed picture of being prideful in Esther 5:9-14. It’s hard to miss the fact that he is completely consumed with himself. I found myself thinking, “He sure thinks he’s ‘all that,'” when I read verses 11-12 where Haman is telling his friends and his wife how important and special he is. Haman is so full of himself that he can’t tolerate the fact that Mordecai isn’t impressed with who he is, or that he’s not fearful about refusing to worship Haman for his supposed greatness. So in this self-focused, self-worshipping state of mind, Haman’s pride gets the best of him. So much so that it drives him to put in motion a plan for Mordecai’s public execution. But as we’ll see when we get to Esther 6, Haman’s pride proves to be his downfall.
None of us are immune to pride. In fact, pride comes quite naturally to us (and yes, I am speaking from experience). So while it’s easy for us to shake our heads and point our fingers at Haman, if we’re honest, we’re all capable of thinking and acting just like him. Thankfully, as followers of Christ, we can overcome the powerful pull of pride when we keep our eyes on serving God and draw on His strength.
In the past, how has pride impacted your thinking and actions? What helps you combat prideful thoughts when they surface? What did you notice or learn from this passage about the dangers and blinding effect of pride? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
