29 June | EVERYONE
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” Isaiah 14: 12-14
Lucifer dreamed of being great. He longed to reach the luminous summit of power. He longed to be God Himself and have the universe at his feet. Painfully, he fell like an uncontrolled meteor; and in his sad descent, there was pain, bitterness, and lamentation. Later, even though his tragedy was resounding, he determined to ruin as many created beings as possible; and from that day on, he dedicated himself to sowing pride and self-sufficiency in the hearts of people.
Cinnamon is an example of what pride does to the lives it touches. They called her that because of the color of her brown skin. When she smiled, her teeth appeared like a flock of white sheep. She was beautiful, intelligent, and insightful. She dreamed of being a lawyer, and she had no difficulties achieving it. At university she met a professor, the owner of one of the largest law firms in the city, she married him after graduation. In a few years, she became a brilliant, recognized, and wealthy professional.
Looking back, she remembered her parents, who were simple people, taking her to church and telling her Bible stories at bedtime, and she smiled. Memories that now seemed distant and naive to her. Memories that were typical of a past phase of her life.
Her faith had disappeared along with the limitations of her childhood. She did not need God, or so she believed. But one day, a road accident took the life of her husband and condemned her to a wheelchair and blindness for the rest of her life.
In her tragedy, her pride became sadness and suffering. She then felt a longing for God, she once again recognized her need for Him and returned to the arms of Jesus.
Take Action
Do not wait until you are really bad to seek and know God. The longer you are “fine” without Him, the easier it is for you to take pride in yourself. Reflect on your life and on so many other cases and ask yourself if it is worth living apart from God.