Deflating Pride
by Charles R. Swindoll
Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Isaiah 51:1
In the Hebrew text, the word quarry actually refers to "a hole." The old King James Version doesn't miss it far: "the hole of the pit whence ye are digged."
Never forget "the hole of the pit."
What excellent advice! Before we get all enamored with our high-and-mighty importance, it's a good idea to take a backward glance at the "hole of the pit" from which Christ lifted us.
And let's not just think about it; let's admit it. Our "hole of the pit" has a way of keeping us all on the same level—recipients of grace.
And don't kid yourself—even those who are extolled and admired have "holes" from which they were dug.
- With Moses, it was murder.
- With Peter, it was public denial.
- With Rahab, it was prostitution.
The next time we're tempted to become puffed up by our own importance, let's just look back to the pit from which we were dug. It has a way of deflating our pride.
Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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