And at once an angel of the Lord smote him (Herod)…because he did not give God the glory… – Acts 12:23, AMP

We all struggle with pride, but some people are consumed by it. Those who are consumed by pride and arrogance are, to put it bluntly, delusional.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “delusion” as:

A persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary.*

For people to be proud and arrogant, they must first believe that they are in control of their lives. To believe that they are in control of their lives, they must ignore the indisputable evidence around them that proves they are not.

Can people influence their circumstances? Sure. Just like a farmer can plant seed and reap a bountiful harvest from his efforts, so we all can take actions that we hope will produce the outcomes we want. But just like the farmer is dependent on God to maintain an environment conducive to growing crops, we are dependent on God to maintain an environment conducive to achieving success. Drought, flood, frost, disease, pests, scavengers, and thieves are all threats that farmers can guard against only to a degree. If these threats come in full force, the farmer will lose his crops. Threats to our success abound in our lives as well, and the only thing that keeps those threats from yanking our worlds out from under us is the mercy of God.

I’ve seen people who’ve spent lifetimes building businesses only to see those businesses destroyed in short order by employee embezzlement, depressed economies, or market shifts. I’ve seen property handed down from generation to generation destroyed in an instant by tornado, flood, and hurricane. I’ve seen families torn apart because of unexpected tragedy, sorrow, or sin. Simply put, we are not in control, and when we grasp that reality, it is impossible to be arrogant. When we realize that the only one in control is God, we see our efforts, our strengths, and our goals in their proper perspective, and we see God for who He is – the sovereign Governor of all creation.

Herod missed the reality of God’s sovereignty (controlling power) over creation, and that is why he was consumed with pride. We’d better not make the same mistake. If we do, God will yank our world out from under us until we get the picture that He is the one calling the shots, not us.

* Merriam-Webster Dictionary iPad App

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