Feeling Too Good About Yourself Religion Essay

What do these four persons have in common? A Richard Nixon, Elvis Presley and Jim Bakker? A Well, for one thing each one reached the pinnacle of his profession-politics for Nixon, musical amusement for Presley, and spiritual telecasting for Bakker.A In add-on, each one set the rules.A And unhappily, each one saw their callings come to a black end.A I suggest to you that the fatal defect in each of these work forces was PRIDE, which is likely best defined in scriptural footings as “ believing more extremely of oneself than one ought to believe. “ A

We hear a batch these yearss about the job of low self-pride ; in fact, one might be tempted to reason from a batch of the psychological literature that most of the jobs in the universe today result from the fact that people do n’t experience good about themselves.A Unfortunately we do n’t hear about every bit much about excessive self-esteem, or pride, which the Bible indicates is an even more destructive job.

Today we come to Uzziah, King of Judah, who is an illustration of the tragic effects of pride: “ his pride led to his ruin. “ A I want us to get down by reading his comparatively brief narrative from 2 Histories 26:

Doug Wilcox

For the interest of clip, this is merely a choice of poetries to give you the feel of the transition.

“ Uzziah was 16 old ages old when he became male monarch, and he reigned in Jerusalem fiftyaˆ‘two old ages. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, merely as his male parent Amaziah had done. Equally long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

God helped him against the Philistines and his celebrity spread every bit far as the boundary line of Egypt, because he had become really powerful.

Uzziah built. He had people working his Fieldss and vineries in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the dirt.

Uzziah had a wellaˆ‘trained arm. His celebrity spread far and broad, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his ruin. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to fire incense on the communion table of incense. 17 Azariah the priest with eighty other brave priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, “ It is non right for you, Uzziah, to fire incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the posterities of Aaron, who have been consecrated to fire incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful ; and you will non be honoured by the LORD God. ”

Uzziah, who had a thurible in his manus ready to fire incense, became angry. While he was ramping at the priests in their presence before the incense communion table in the LORD ‘s temple, leprosy broke out on his brow.

King Uzziah had leprosy until the twenty-four hours he died. The other events of Uzziah ‘s reign, from get downing to stop, are recorded by the prophesier Isaiah boy of Amoz. 23 Uzziah rested with his male parents and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the male monarchs, for people said, “ He had leprosy. ” And Jotham his boy succeeded him as male monarch.

Derek Stringer

Uzziah was merely 16 old ages old when he became male monarch, the 2nd boy-king we have come across in our surveies, Joash holding reigned from age 7.A He was on the throne a sum of 52 old ages, though portion of that clip he was co-regent with his male parent and subsequently co-regent with his son.A Fifty-two old ages is an improbably long clip for a individual to govern a country.A Merely Queen Elizabeth approaches Uzziah ‘s term of office in modern times, and, of class, she is a swayer in name merely. We ‘re traveling to see Uzziah ‘s life in three parts: His early religious certificates. His admirable accomplishments. His disdainful rebellion. Then we will analyze the anatomy of pride and conclude with some of import scriptural rules.

Doug Wilcox

So we start with: Uzziah ‘s early religious certificates

Derek Stringer

Our text says of this male monarch thatA “ He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, merely as his male parent Amaziah had done. “ A At first glimpse that looks like truly good intelligence, because Amaziah and Uzziah are both counted among the eight godly male monarchs of Judah ( out of 20 ) .A But we need to inquire what those two words “ merely as ” mean.A If Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, merely as his male parent Amaziah had done, how good did Amaziah make? A In 25:2 it says, “ He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but non wholeheartedly. “ A And so, that ‘s what we find in Uzziah ‘s story-he followed the same form his male parent followed-half-hearted committedness to God.

How is your bosom? A One Pastor said, “ I was given a small brass bosom that I have since carried every individual twenty-four hours in my pocket, along with my change.A It reads on one side, “ The Heart of a Leader, ” and on the other side, “ Proverbs 4:23: Above all else, guard your bosom. “ A Why? “ For it is the wellhead of life. “ A Every clip I dig in my pocket for money, out comes that reminder, “ Guard your bosom. ” I need that, because it is so easy to hold my bosom drawn off from God to material things, and even good things that are n’t the best things.

Doug Wilcox

Verse 5 goes on to state, “ He sought God during the yearss of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fright of God. “ A

Derek Stringer

We found a similar state of affairs with Joash, who, we were told, “ did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, all the old ages of Jehoiada the priest. “ A We noted that when religious fruit in a individual ‘s life is merely discernible so long as a wise man or parent or curate or friend is in the image, that is an indicant that the individual has ne’er made the religion his ain, ne’er come to existent maturity.A He has become dependent upon another human being instead than upon God.A That seems to be the instance besides with Uzziah.A So long as Zechariah was about, Uzziah sought the LORD.A But the deduction is that when Zechariah died, the male monarch was left rudderless.

Is there person in your life who is maintaining you on the consecutive and narrow by virtuousness of their influence or friendly relationship, but you have n’t of all time come to indicate of taking a base on your ain? A I suspect there are some hubbies listening who are Christians by proxy.A What I mean by that is you go to Church because your married woman has a relationship with Jesus, and you see what it ‘s done for her and you even like what her religion has done for your home.A But you know in your bosom that if something happened to her, you would bail out because her religion is non yours.A I suspect there are some immature people who go to Church because their parents go.A And you go of to university. Your declared purposes are to link with a campus ministry or a local church, but I ‘ll state you, those purposes will travel nowhere unless you have a religion of your own.A The equal force per unit area or party tardily on Saturday dark will get the better of any purposes that are n’t grounded in a echt relationship with Christ.A Uzziah and Joash mostly had a second-hand faith.A That ‘s non good plenty when enticements rise and the traveling gets tough.

However, despite these danger signals, King Uzziah started off reasonably good and accomplished some reasonably unbelievable things, and the ground is clearly stated in rule signifier at the terminal of verse 5:

Doug Wilcox

“ Equally long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. “ A A

Derek Stringer

That, I believe, is a dateless rule that is merely every bit good today as it was in 750 B.C.A In fact, I do non believe there are any exclusions to it.A Equally long as, but merely every bit long as, we seek the Lord, God will give us success.A Of class, to keep that place, we have to specify “ success ” correctly.A Clearly there are people who have sought the LORD but who have non achieved fiscal success, or musical success, or concern success.A Success must be defined in scriptural footings, and I would wish to take a pang at that.A “ Success, I would state, is accomplishing the highest intent for which God created us separately. “ A He knows us better than we know ourselves.A He created us and He gifted us.A When we use our gifts and endowments for the intent He designed us, so we find success, along with fulfillment and joy.

I know some really successful people in God ‘s eyes who would non be judged peculiarly successful by many of their equals. The key is to recognize that God does n’t assure to give us success every bit long as we work hard, or gain advanced grades, or marry good, or eat right.A But He does assure to give us success every bit long as we seek him.A And a big portion of what that means is being obedient to this Book the Bible.A Listen carefully to what the Lord said to Joshua in Joshua 1.

Doug Wilcox

“ Be strong and really brave. . . .Do non allow this Book of the Law depart from your oral cavity ; meditate on it twenty-four hours and dark, so that you may be careful to make everything written in it.A Then you will be comfortable and successful.

Derek Stringer

Early on in his reign immature male monarch Uzziah sought the Lord, and the Lord gave him success.A He was on his manner to going non merely a good male monarch but a great one.A

He went to war and God helped him. His ground forces was well-trained, well-organized, and well-equipped.A

Uzziah had edifice involvements as we are told that he rebuilt a town and reinforced towers in the desert, presumptively to supply protection for travelers and possibly function as outstations for the armed forces.

Doug Wilcox

Uzziah “ dug many cisterns, because he had much farm animal in the foothills and in the plain.A He had people working his Fieldss and vineries in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the dirt. “ A

Derek Stringer

This adult male Uzziah ‘s accomplishments were truly important, and they are summarized in verse 8: “ His celebrity spread every bit far as the boundary line of Egypt, because he had become really powerful, ” and once more in verse 15: A “ His celebrity spread far and broad, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. “ A Clearly the rule that “ every bit long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success ” was fulfilled in the life of Uzziah, male monarch of Judah.

But so we come to a 3rd chapter in Uzziah ‘s life, a sad chapter.A I call it. . . Uzziah ‘s disdainful rebellion

Here excessively a statement is made that turns out to be a timeless and profound rule:

“ After he became powerful, his pride led to his ruin. “ A You know, the Bibles leave no uncertainty about the dangers of pride and the tragic consequences of it in a individual ‘s life.A In Scripture transition after Scripture transition, New Testament and Old, from Satan ‘s rebellion against God before the Garden of Eden to the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation, we see the tragic effects of human pride.A

Doug Wilcox

C. S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, The indispensable frailty, the extreme immorality, is Pride.A Unchastity, choler, greed, inebriation, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparing ; it was through Pride that the Satan became the Satan ; Pride leads to every other frailty ; it is the complete anti-God province of head. . . .A Equally long as you are proud you can non cognize God.A A proud adult male is ever looking down on things and people ; and, of class, every bit long as you are looking down, you can non see something that is above you.

Derek Stringer

Expression at what happened to Uzziah as a consequence of his pride. It says in poetry 16: A “ He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to fire incense on the communion table of incense. “ A Now we may non believe of firing incense in the temple as a peculiarly flagitious wickedness, but the issue is non what we think.A God had made it explicitly clear that merely priests were to fire incense.A Uzziah was cognizant of it.A But he thought because he was king he could do his ain rules.A Worse than that, . . . He persisted in his noncompliance even after being warned.A You remember the story.A Azariah the priest stepped frontward with 80 other brave priests of the Lord and followed Uzziah into the temple.A It took some serious fortitude for these priests to face the king.A In a twenty-four hours and clip when the Godhead right of male monarchs was taken for granted and it was non unusual at all for a male monarch to put to death anyone who disagreed with him, these work forces of God stood up for the truth, no affair the consequences.A But Uzziah persisted in his noncompliance, going angry with the priests.A In fact, he went into a rage.A After all, what right did these puny priests have to dispute him, the male monarch? A Well, they had no power, for certain, but God did.

Doug Wilcox

It says, “ While he was ramping at the priests in their presence before the incense communion table in the LORD ‘s temple, leprosy broke out on his brow. “ A

Derek Stringer

This, of class, was a arresting blow, because Hansen’s disease was tantamount to a slow decease sentence.A And because it was so contagious, the priests hurried him out of the temple.A That was n’t difficult to make, for he himself, “ was eager to go forth, because the LORD had afflicted him. ” He could n’t wait to acquire out of there, worried that something worse might go on to him.

He had to go forth the castle and unrecorded in isolation in a separate house, apart from his married woman and kids, his friends, his advisers, and even the retainers who made a male monarch ‘s life so pleasant.A He was besides excluded from the temple of the LORD.A And he efficaciously lost his power, for Jotham his boy was put in charge of the castle and began to regulate the people.A And he died a black death.A At age 68 Uzziah rested with his male parents and was buried near them in a field that belonged to the kings.A He could n’t be buried with them, but merely near them, because “ He had leprosy. ”

Now I want us to turn our attending to the anatomy of pride.

How and why does pride take to a individual ‘s ruin?

( 1 ) A Pride begins with achievement, whether perceived or real.A Losers are non normally afflicted with pride.A It ‘s victors, or at least people who perceive of themselves as victors, who struggle with pride.A

Doug Wilcox

There ‘s a narrative told about a adult female who came to her curate squealing the wickedness of pride.A She said to him, “ I spend hours looking in a mirror and look up toing myself. “ A The curate said to her, “ My beloved, yours is non the wickedness of pride, it ‘s the wickedness of imaginativeness. “ A

Derek Stringer

But even perceived achievement can bring forth pride.

I think that work forces are most susceptible to plume in the country of their work, place, and wealth, while adult females are likely more tempted toward pride in respect to their expressions, their relationships, their places, and their children.A But for both, pride begins with carry throughing something important, being noticed, making a end.

( 2 ) A Pride takes root when we forget where our success comes from. A Success comes from God.A We know that, but we forget it.A I think that ‘s why the Psalmist speaks to himself and to us with those dramatic words, “ Bless the Lord, O my psyche, and bury non all his benefits. “ A I forget people ‘s name.A But the worst possible thing to bury is God ‘s benefits, bury to thank Him for His approvals, bury to give Him the honor He is due.

Pride takes root when we forget where our success comes from

( 3 ) A Pride causes us to make things we would ne’er make otherwise. A Pride caused Uzziah to take hazards, to go foolhardy, to presume authorization he was ne’er given.A It ever does that.A As I have watched the intelligence histories of CEO ‘s who have looted their companies, I see work forces who have become bigger than life in their ain eyes.A They have become a jurisprudence unto themselves, reckless in their Wheeling and dealing and cheating.

But allow ‘s convey it a small closer to home.A In what ways does plume do us to take unneeded hazards or to presume authorization that has n’t been delegated to us? A Many of the personal businesss I have handled in my guidance with work forces have had pride at their root.A A cat gets a few publicities at work, he earns more money, he discovers that money is power, he begins to believe his ain imperativeness cuttings, and reasonably shortly he becomes highly vulnerable.A His married woman still treats him the manner she ever did, because she knows he still puts his pants on one leg at a time.A But some adult female at the office begins to handle him like a small god.A Believe me, he ‘s headed for serious problem.

What sort of behavior is pride bring forthing in you, behaviour that you would n’t hold considered possible before?

( 4 ) A Pride demonstrates itself in angry confrontation. A

Doug Wilcox

I think that what happened to Uzziah with the priests is non unusual at all when a individual becomes consumed with pride.A

Derek Stringer

Absolutely right!

The revealing mark of a disdainful individual is that he does n’t listen to those who warn him ; alternatively he becomes angry at their audaciousness to inquiry him.A I think it is a just regulation of pollex that when a individual gets really angry upon being confronted, you ‘re covering with either a really insecure individual or a really proud individual or both.A Humble people can acquire angry, excessively ; after all, Jesus did.A But their choler is by and large righteous outrage, choler because the inexperienced person are hurt or justness is being skewed.A They do n’t acquire angry when they are themselves attacked.A Alternatively they either acknowledge their errors and apologise, or they explain themselves and go forth it with God.A But the proud individual lashes back even when he knows in his bosom he is incorrect.

( 5 ) A Pride consequences in devastation and shame. A Uzziah reached a sad and tragic terminal, but it is no different than many today who in their pride decide to travel it entirely without God.A Listen! Pride ever consequences in a fall.A That autumn may be merely a disciplinary action to convey you back to your senses.A But it could besides ensue in ageless judgment.A If you persist in your pride and noncompliance, you will lose out on your lone chance to have redemption and pass infinity with God, for that privilege is given merely to those who bow the articulatio genus to Jesus Christ.

Doug Wilcox

All of this is of import material. We need to pull some rules out of this before we close.

Derek Stringer

Okay.

( 1 ) A Genuine success in life is ever a gift from God. A James tells us that “ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the celestial visible radiations. “ A And he means “ every. ”

( 2 ) A The Lord who blesses us besides disciplines us. A There are many today who view God as good and sort ; in fact, they look at him about as the great Santa Claus in the sky.A But God is more than that-much more.A He is holy and just.A He can non disregard wickedness, particularly in the lives of His children.A So He disciplines us.A Hebrews 12 is a powerful transition and brings together the love and subject of God and basically tells us one can non hold one without the other.

Doug Wilcox

Listen to these words:

“ Our male parents disciplined us for a small while as they thought best ; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may portion in his holiness.A No subject seems pleasant at the clip, but painful.A Later on, nevertheless, it produces a crop of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ”

Derek Stringer

If you are undergoing subject today, low yourself now while there is chance for penitence and Restoration.

( 3 ) A The trial of prosperity is even more hard than the trial of adversity.A I have known what it is to fight financially, unsure as to what will go on next. At times like that it makes pray harder and tilt more on the Lord.

When we had virtually nil by the universe ‘s criterions, we had to trust on the Lord because there were no other options.A Time and once more I remember how God came through for us in marvelous ways.A But now there are other options.A Trust can be put in stuff possessions.A I ‘m non certain I have ever passed the test.A How about you? A How are we making with the trial of prosperity?

What is God stating to you today through the life of Uzziah, male monarch of Judah? A Whatever else you learn, do n’t allow it be said of you that “ after you became powerful or popular or affluent or celebrated, pride led to your ruin and you were unfaithful to the Lord your God. ”