READ: 1 Peter 5:1-6
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and WHAT DOTH THE LORD REQUIRE of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to WALK HUMBLY with thy God?
Micah 6:8
One day, I heard an experienced minister make an important statement. He said, “I have sat on committees that assessed pastors who had fallen into sin. In all, I have sat on one thousand, five hundred such cases.” He continued, “Every single one of these one thousand five hundred pastors had one thing in common.” I was sure that he was going to say that they all had a problem with immorality. He said, “They all had a problem with pride.”
Pride was the first sin in the universe. Lucifer who was surrounded with the glory of God and saw the greatness of God, fell because of his pride. Pride has claimed the souls of the greatest.
I once visited some pastors in their church office. This team of pastors were in charge of a large thriving church. They took me on a tour around their beautiful facility, which I enjoyed very much. When I was leaving they asked me to pray. I prayed for the church and for the pastors. Amongst other things, I asked the Lord to give them the spirit of humility.
When I said “Amen”, these pastors immediately jumped on me and asked, “Who do you think you are to pray for humility for us? Do you think we are proud?” I was taken aback. For the first time in my life, I apologised for praying for humility for someone. And I left with my tail between my legs.
Within the next five years, these pastors were struck down from their high pedestals. Pride comes before destruction! I had not felt any pride in these pastors when I prayed for humility for them. I prayed for humility as it was the greatest blessing in the sight of God. And that was what I desired for them.