Success can sometimes go to your head and that can lead to big problems.
Let’s look a King Uzziah of Judah to prove the point. He started his reign by seeking and obeying God and God blessed him and his kingdom (2 Chr 26:1-14) – they defeated their enemies, built cities and infrastructure, became powerful, received tribute from foreigners, and Uzziah became famous.
Sadly, Uzziah allowed himself to become proud of himself for the successes God gave him:
16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. (2 Chr 26:16-21 – ESV)
Uzziah’s became so arrogant that he thought it was okay to violate God’s Temple law and do what only the priests were allowed to do. He paid the price for the foolish act done in pride for the rest of his life.
Be careful not to became proud and arrogant for the successes and blessings God has given you. Don’t deceive yourself to take credit for blessings from God. Keep in mind that all your blessings and successes are given to you by God (Jn 3:27). Even if your successes are a result of your brains, abilities, or beauty … know this, it is God that gave you the brains, skills, and beauty … the opportunity to use them … and the success. Remember King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Dan 4:30). Don’t be like that … instead praise and thank the Lord for your successes and blessings. Don’t allow success to convince yourself that you are great and your accomplishments are yours. When you do that, you are robbing God of His glory for the success He gave you and placing it on yourself.
John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” (Jn 3:27)
Think about it
What can you learn from King Uzziah?
Do you understand that everything good in your life is from God?
Do you ever find yourself taking prideful credit for something when it is from God?
Do you realize that your intelligence, opportunities, successes, skills, and blessings are from God? If so, why do you take pride in what you’ve accomplished with them?
Do you ever sound like Nebuchadnezzar and take credit for what God has done?
How can you guard against pride instead of being like Uzziah?
Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. (Pv 16:18)
Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. (Pv 16:5)
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Mt 23:12 – ESV)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you (1 Pe 5:6 – ESV)
Read Dt 8:11-18.
BIBLE DEVOTIONS FOR LIVING 