“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
A good pair of shoes can change your life. Just ask Cinderella, or perhaps Imelda Marcos. She owned over a thousand pairs. However, Imelda and her shoes never finished in great style.
I had a friend with a shoe fetish. One day, she sashayed off to work in a new pair of stilettos. Compliments filled her morning. Feeling quite nice about herself, she bounced down some stairs. One of the heels caught itself in the carpet. The shoe stayed on the step but my friend leapt into the air, landing splat at the bottom of the stairwell. Everyone flew to see the commotion. Her body remained intact. No broken bones, just broken pride.
Noah’s descendents concocted a high and lofty plan. They determined to build a tower whose top would reach the heavens. They also decided to make a name for themselves. It sounds like a competition with the Almighty. Lucifer tried to elevate himself once and took a mighty long tumble from heaven to earth. These fellows had a reverse strategy. Go from the bottom up. They fared no better than ol’ Lucifer. God confused their speech. They became babbling idiots and their dream tower never made it to the heavens.
The Almighty has a way with prideful boasters. When plans are in opposition and competition with His will, He gets the final say-so. Humpty’s fall off walls. High heels and haughty spirits crash and burn. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
I’ve taken a few nose dives myself. The ones done in private I am most grateful for. The ones done publicly, well, let’s just say I’ve walked away feeling like a babbling idiot more than once in my life.
Bruised egos and broken pride silences those whose words and plans are outside the will of God. Let’s seek the One who holds our today, our tomorrow, and the plans for each event in our future. He is worthy.