If you’ve read Chapter 13 of The Bridge from OneDayBow you know that Tim starts off  feeling pretty good about himself, very certain of his ability, and overly confident in his own strength. (There’s something about entertaining delusions of self-grandeur that makes you oblivious to Kingdom reality.) It was the Son who defeated Natas’ death grip by conquering the grave. It was the Son who bridged the great divide. It was the King who arranged the way for people to enter His Kingdom. In fact, it was not that long ago that Tim said to the Son:

 “There is no other way but the one the King provides,

Through You, by Your sacrifice, and nothing else besides.”

How could Tim forget those lessons so quickly? Probably had something to do with taking of the Truth-belt when he believed the tempter’s lies. Not to mention loosening up the breastplate – the covering of the Son’s rightness given to him. It’s never a good idea to drop the Book! And finally, the peace shoes that were given to carry the Good News of the Kingdom were laid aside. One poor decision after another, one prideful assertion after another that Tim didn’t need anything but himself. Boastful words accompanied by fool hardy action, and you got to know what comes next! A world-class slide into the slippery muck of pride! Or as the Bible so wisely warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall…” (Proverbs 16:18)

There is so much I could criticize Tim for, and such wise counsel I could give him to correct the error of his way, but I think the best thing I could say at this point is: it takes one to know one! After all, I wrote the book and Tim only did what my keyboard directed him to!

Pride must be one of the oldest stumbling blocks known to man – and to the devil! The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 that Adam’s origin was the dirt of the earth, and Psalm 103 graciously reminds us that God knows what we are made of: dust. Why do we fall for the lies of our own greatness? Simply put, because we want to. It’s one thing for a non-Christian to fall for that old ploy, but shouldn’t followers of Jesus know better? Of course, and we do. The problem is that our thoughts deceive us and our actions soon follow. It may be an act of God’s kindness to allow us to sink ourselves in the muck of pride. Why? Because it reminds us who we really are, and how desperately we need Him.

But it should also remind us of something else. More on that next time.