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Who would have thought I had lofty eyes?

I once worked for a Christian organization. Another leader and I vied for the same position. He was chosen over me. The attitudes this brought to the surface in my life were eye-opening. I alternated between being envious of the other leader and being down on myself as a failure. I got up one morning angry with others and the next mad at myself. I could not get beyond the feeling that I deserved this position. I suffered from a bad case of lofty eyes.

Whether or not you are proud, you will be accused of being so. David’s brother said he was proud (1 Samuel 17:28 NLT), yet David knew the condition of his heart. He could have remained in the sheepfolds or rise to be a king. Lofty eyes always stem from a proud heart.

Pride tends to make us jealous of those above us and causes us to show disdain for those under us. Lofty eyes motivate us to look to our position in life for acceptance. To derive our value, we compare our performance with that of others.

Our hearts have a tendency towards vanity like a baby seeks its mother’s breasts. David described himself as a weaned child. He had a quieted soul because he did not strive for a station in life that was higher or lower than God had chosen for him.

The most significant people in this life often to do not recognize their greatness, which is a distinct characteristic of humility. David realized his own limitations. This may have been the key to his child-like dependence on God.

A haughty look is a product of a proud heart. Through my experience, the Lord ridded me of some pride in my heart. Unlike me, David knew the accusations about his pride were false because he felt no need to strive for authority. We all have the tendency for pride in our hearts, but David shows us we can be weaned from it.

Let God wean you of whatever needs to be removed from your life.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

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