The arrogance of man will be brought low
    and human pride humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
Stop trusting in mere humans,
    who have but a breath in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?
Isaiah 2: 17,22

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When my children were preschool age, we owned a VHS player. For those unfamiliar, you would put a cassette tape about 4 X 8 inches big into a slot to watch a movie on your television. Ours suddenly stopped working. I marched to the electronics store with three preschoolers in tow and described the problem. As he looked at my brood, the gentleman behind the counter said, “It sounds like a toy was put inside the slot.”

I replied with bold confidence in my ability to parent, “My children know better. They would never do that.”

You probably see the punchline coming. When I went to pick up the fixed VHS player, a Lego piece was taped to the top. I was so embarrassed as many cliches came to mind, such as “Never say never.” But so did a principle from Proverbs: “Pride comes before the fall.” 

There is a fine line between moving forward confidently to accomplish plans and being arrogant about yourself. It is easy for me to see others cross that line into egotistical behavior when they talk boastfully or treat others as inferior. I must work harder to discern when I cross this line. Remembering God’s almighty majesty and that I am His creation helps keep me grounded.

As we elect our government leaders, it can be difficult to discern which officials are out for personal gain and which ones are determined to perform a job for the people. We all want leaders who place themselves second to the needs of the people they govern but it is a tall order for any human being as we all struggle with pride, and power only inflates the struggle. This is why we look to God for the ultimate rule. When it comes time to vote, we can certainly assess the character of our elected officials by the words they use towards others and their performance history, but in the end, our trust is in God and not our vote.

Next Steps

Let’s keep praying for wisdom for all elected government leaders. And pray for wisdom for our own behavior as well.