Jeremiah 13: Avoid Pride

I think that the vice of pride is a major problem that we all have experience with. We might as well face it. We are all pretty good at something. We might be good at our jobs, good in school, good at a sport or good performing on stage. Some people say that they have no talent, but this is honestly not true. Everyone is good at something.

That being said, because we are all talented and somewhat in some way, it is pretty easy to become proud. We can start thinking that we are better than we are. It is so easy to allow pride to come in. On a very basic level, pride is affirming. Even if other people are not complimenting us on our talent, we have no problem complimenting ourselves, and we get that positive feedback that we are naturally desire.

Israel had the same problem in Jeremiah 13. Pride was a major part of the downfall that Jeremiah was predicting obvious through the inspiration of God.

Jer 13:9  Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

Jer 13:10  This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.

Jer 13:11  For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

God set aside Israel to be special people, and they were supposed to stay right with God. However, they would not hear what He had to say. They would not follow His commandments, and they followed their heart. I know that in Disney World following your heart is considered a good thing, but in this context we have to remember that the heart is evil. Our human desires and impulses including pride are the things that cause major problems.

We need to try to avoid the same downfall. As I mentioned above, it is so easy to become proud about anything. It is hard to do, but through the grace of God, we can begin to move in the right direction.