“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” - Romans 12:3 (NIV)
The fall of Lucifer is attributed to pride. As it is written, “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; II will raise my throne above the stars of God; II will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the North. II will ascend above the tops of the clouds; II will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Lucifer’s beauty, wisdom and might – all the good things created in him by God – led him to pride. As the scripture says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:8).
Just as it were, a gift can be turned into an object of pride, where the one who has been blessed with it thinks of himself more higher than he ought to. This we often observe in the lives of countless artists, who lifted up on a stage by their throng of admirers, all that gets into their head, and before long they are off the rails. Of Lucifer, Ezekiel writes, “You were in Eden, the garden of God. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendour. So I threw you to the ground. (Ezekiel 28:13-17).
The gifts God has endowed us with can bring great fortune to us especially where we invest them well. The one gifted with enterprise can become a roaring successful businessperson; the one with knowledge, a giant expert in his trade. But with success one can easily draw away from the one who blessed him with that gift, God, and start thumping his chest as
“I am the greatest!” May our gifts not be turned into objects of worship, that setts our hearts against God.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God, creator of heaven and earth, I thank you for the gifts you have blessed me with, to prosper in this life, and today I pray that I may use all to magnify you and give you glory, in Jesus’s name.
