Proverbs 16

This chapter is full of all kinds of wisdom. I think I will re-read it a few times today. But the verse that jumps out is 18. Pride. I have a couple of people that I keep butting heads with. Actually it's more just a collection of things that irritate or disappoint or frustrate me about them. But after talking it to death with Brannon, we realized that really the key problem was pride. They are both completely frozen in a solid block of pride. It's easy to picture pride in just a certain way, like nose-in-the-air conceited. But really it is a root cause of all kinds of other behaviors.

So now, the challenge is, even though I had started praying for these people, now I know what to pray specifically. Not just for God to fix the situation. But for God to break their pride. Break them down so He can build them back. Pride is actually preventing them from realizing their true calling. The pride manifests itself completely different in each of them. But it's a really sad cycle and in both people it is bringing them to a sad and bitter place. It comes before a fall. It is a certain thing. If you can't lay down your pride on your own, you will fall.

But maybe it's something you can only learn the hard way. Maybe I can't pray for humility for them. Maybe God doesn't grant that. (Which I suspect is also true of patience. Long story.) Maybe they have to fall. I'm not sure, but I really want them to be made whole. And I really want to see them functioning in their true gifts and calling without pride causing so many problems and making things so difficult and messy. But I guess I'll just have to keep praying and wait and see what happens.