Mark Sorensen I said to myself, “Just look at this great city of Babylon that I have created! I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city for my glory. I built it to show my power, my might, my majesty, and my glory!” – Daniel 4:30
Pride is a sneaky little snake, isn’t it?
God gave ol’ King Nebuchadnezzar a dream, an interpretation, even a Daniel to give out some warning and some hope in the midst of the warning. Yet, he missed it all because his eyes were focused on “I”, and God eventually humbled him because of it. That’s the danger of pride.
Have you ever thought about what you find in the midst of pride? Right in the middle of the word pride you find this:
pr I de
Ironically, what stands in the middle of sin?
s I n
Simply put, pride is a problem of the “I”, and it’s a sin that needs to be corrected.
Here were some of the warning signs of a prideful heart that I shared in last week’s message from Daniel 4:
- You’re always right
- Easily offended
- Don’t like to be corrected
- Usually ungrateful
- Often impatient with others and sometimes with God
- Not afraid of temptations
- Like to talk more than listen
- Desire to be first or best
- Need to be noticed
- Obstinate towards authority
- Quick to find fault with others
- Bold to contradict others
- Demanding and hard to please
- Boast about achievements
I’ve seen myself in those bullet points more than I would like to admit, honestly. Perhaps you do as well? There’s good news, friends, and it’s the same good news that Daniel gave to Nebuchadnezzar. Two things are required to correct a prideful heart: repentance and looking beyond yourself to help others. (see Daniel 4:27)
What changed Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was the moment he lifted his eyes toward heaven and praised God for His goodness. (Daniel 4:34)
We get better when we replace pride with praise.
What a gift Daniel chapter 4 is for us all because it reminds us that even in a Babylonian kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t so far away that he couldn’t be turned around and saved by a God who was for him.
Sunday, I’m already excited to bring you our next stop in Daniel’s incredible story that includes the familiar Lion’s Den. Get ready because that den wasn’t a den of lions, it was a den of prayer!
It’s going to be a big Sunday of worship. Come on and join us!
