“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

Unable to sleep one night, I randomly opened my Bible to the book of Obadiah. I was startled! The book begins, “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised” (Ob. 1:2). The entire book is devoted to destruction and doom. I thought, “Lord, what are you trying to tell me?”

I read on. The third verse justifies the contention, “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’” (Ob. 1:3) To those whose hearts are so haughty they think they’re immune to opposition, God promises, “Though you soar like the eagles and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down” (Ob. 1:4).

I received the message as a warning. As a writer, I long for recognition. I like to hear, “Nice article! Great post! Touching message today!” Quite frankly, I am thrilled to see my name in print. It tells me someone valued my words enough to share them with others. It validates my efforts.

I must take care, though, to avoid the snare of hubris, of excessive pride. I must always recognize the source of my inspiration and give credit to the One who assigned me this task. I must always humble myself before the Lord, lest I meet destruction. And whatever I do, I must work at it with all my heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Col. 3:23).