Watch Yourself

How often have you seen someone blowing his own horn—or trying to—only to have it blow up in his face?

It happens on a regular basis in the world of sports. There’s the player who brags before the game about a sure victory because his performance alone will make it happen, and then he has one of his worst games ever. Or the player who is showboating in the middle of a play, high stepping it toward the end zone after badly beating the defensive coverage on a long pass play, and he drops the ball just before he crosses over the goal line into the end zone. No touchdown.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus describes an incident of showboating in the story of the praying Pharisee and the tax collector. Both men were in the Temple. The Pharisee, a religious leader, thanked God that he wasn’t a sinner like the other people around him. The tax collector, on the other hand, lamented his sins with regret to God. To the astonishment of his listeners, Jesus says it is the tax collector who is justified before God, not the Pharisee. Then He concludes by saying, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (verse 14).

Have you caught yourself saying or doing something with an intentional “look at me” attitude? It can happen to anyone. And so can falling flat on your face and eating humble pie.

His Promises

Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Pride ends in humiliation,

while humility brings honor.

If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself.