The wages of pride
Every day that you or I go to work we get paid. Whether it’s every two weeks or once a month, we eventually receive payment for what we’ve earned. Zephaniah 2:10 speaks about a payment we receive but, unfortunately, it’s for a very different kind of work – the kind of work it takes to defend ourselves; to stick up for our rights; to declare our independence. The verse says “They (you and I) will receive the wages of their pride...” Have you ever stopped to consider that your pride earns you a wage? Every time you say “Who are you to tell me what to do” or “I shouldn’t have to apologize” or “I don’t need your help…” you are earning a wage – the wages of pride.
So the next time arrogance whispers in your ear, remember, a broken relationship, a shallow lifestyle or a public humiliation may be your payment. But most of all, remember how God feels about pride:
- Zephaniah 3:11 “I will remove all proud and arrogant people…”
- Psalm 138:6b “The Lord keeps his distance from the proud.”
- Isaiah 10:12 “I will punish the king of Assyria (and you and me!) for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes."
- James 4:7 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
- Leviticus 26:19 "I will break down your stubborn pride."
- Isaiah 2:11 "The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day."