Proud Weakness, Humble Strength

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. ... The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact."  (Pro. 11:2, 15:25)

I was walking through a bookstore in town the other day.  I normally don't even bother with this section, but while moseying, I happened down what I call the "self-help" aisle.  God has been really pushing wisdom for me lately, and I just happened to think about one of my favorite verses (Pro. 11:2), and how it applied to our need to better ourselves.

The self-improvement section is almost always the hottest corner of the bookstore.  Why?  Because it is human nature to build ourselves up.  We want more security, more education, better skills, more income, stable mental health, stronger relationships, deeper passions, more adventure, and a higher standard of living.  And God has even put those basic impulses into our hearts.

We might be surprised then to find out that God always opposes our most natural strategy for growth.  We're into self-improvement, with an emphasis on the "self."  We want to be stronger, better, smarter, and richer - ourselves.  And we always try to attain our status with personal strategies and hard work.  Does God oppose strategy and work?  Hardly.  He just hates the pride that those things foster.

There is a remarkable contrast in this proverb.  The proud man has a house.  It's likely gorgeous, or at least very sturdy.  The walls are thick, the decor is stylish, and the construction is solid.  How do we know?  Because he is proud; proud people don't settle for second best.  The widow, on the other hand, may not have much of a house.  She may not have walls around her property.  There's no security system, no guards, nothing to stop anyone from taking what little she has.  The proud man is insulated, but the widow is completely vulnerable.  He is the epitome of strength, and she is the epitome of weakness.  So which one is more secure?  According to this proverb, she is.  The proud man's thick walls will be torn down by God Himself.  The widow's naked boundaries will be guarded by God Himself.  Yes, God chooses sides.

Why, when we're guaranteed such divine strength in our vulnerability, do we almost always opt for more of our own "strength"?  Are we just too proud to be dependent?  We can have either our self-sufficiency or God's sufficiency.  Having both is not an option.  This is not a difficult question: Which would you prefer?