Danger of Pride in Position

In life, there will be times when we are given positions of power and authority and times we have to step down from them to move onto the next step God has for us. But with anything or any position, we must always be aware that we should be at a place in our hearts to be willingly able to let it go if God asks us to. Never be in such a place in your heart, like Saul, where your position became your identity. Your identity comes from Christ, not your position. Positions come and go but Christ remains forever. If you let your position or place of authority in this world become who you are, then your heart will be likened to the world. You will do anything in whatever means possible to secure that position regardless of the cost. Saul’s downfall is a result of this principle.
“So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day forward.” – 1 Samuel 18:7-9.
To give some context to what just occurred in this passage, David had just recently killed Goliath and Saul greatly promoted him. However, when the praises of the people were more directed to David, Saul’s pride began to rise up. The opinion of man is the stirring ladle to the soup of pride. What riles up pride more than anything? It is what others think about you. Saul got upset only when the people’s opinion of him changed. This is why it is so crucial to not let man’s opinion affect the state of your heart. Pride will truly destroy you from the inside out. Saul’s strife began here as he feared David would take over his kingdom. There are large flaws within Saul’s perspective here. One was that his heart was not with God but with his position. He had valued his position and title as “king” more than his trust in God. If Saul’s heart had been on God, then he wouldn’t have anything to worry or fear about since he trusted God’s plans. This insecurity of strife against David had a root of false worth. Where does your worth and value come from? Not you or anyone else except God. If your heart is so set on you and where you stand here in this world, then you will forget about where you stand with Him. Who you are doesn’t come from what you do or where you stand here in this world. It is from God and God alone. Another thing that can be recognized here in this story is that Saul was quite defendant against his role as king. While there can be a proper time and scenario for one to defend what God has given them, this is not the same situation. The motives here are a result of pride. When you are out of alignment and you notice those around you succeeding and rising to great levels along their own paths, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparison. This insecurity of Saul is a direct result of comparing himself to David and realizing that David is moving up in his life. Because Saul was so moved by the opinions of the people and the pride of his heart, he thought David was coming for his kingdom even though David wasn’t. I mean David wasn’t even threatening Saul’s position or his kingdom. In fact, David was obedient to Saul and honored where the Lord had placed him so much that David wouldn’t even kill Saul when he had the chance even though Saul was endlessly hunting David down.
“Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” – 1 Samuel 26:8-11.
For David, his future was bright, and his dreams were big. Oftentimes, we have to defend that future and dream. The biggest dream/future killers are the ones without a future or a dream. Saul didn’t have any as he disobeyed God and his time of being king would shortly end. He only sped up the process through his own insecurities. Those who have none will attempt to steal from those who do. They become full of strife and contempt. Those who are afraid of their own downfall are usually the ones who cause their own downfall because they lack trust in God.
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” – Proverbs 16:18.
There is a reason it is pride before the destruction and the fall because when you let pride in, you will do whatever means to try to save your position out of that motive of pride which in turn leads you down dark roads that destroy your position. So overall, janitor or president, CEO or office worker, position does not matter for the greatest position is to be a willing servant with a willing heart for His Kingdom. For David was merely a simple shepherd’s boy with a heart for God before he ever became king of Israel.