Interestingly, in Proverbs one finds that "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall". (Prov. 16:18) clearly indicating that proud people take little account of their weaknesses and do not anticipate stumbling blocks. They think they are above the frailties of common people. In this state of mind they are easily tripped up. Ironically, proud people seldom realize that pride is their problem, although everyone around them is well aware of it. Ask someone you trust whether self-satisfaction in your life has blinded you to warning signs. He or she may by God's tool/messenger to help you avoid a fall.
Look at the scenario of this story which I just heard:
A ship was wrecked and only two of the men were able to swim to the nearest land, a desert-like island. The two survivors agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God for their survival. However to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they divided the island between them.
So they both prayed for the thing they needed most at that moment, food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land. But the other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After some days, the first man was lonely and he prayed for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. On the other side of the island, the second man remained alone.Finally the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island to the safety of their country. In the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island. So the first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man behind on the island, since none of his prayers had been answered.
Suddenly, a voice from Heaven boomed: "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?
The first man replied: "His prayers were all unansweered and so he does not deserve anything".
"You are mistaken" the voice replied. "He had only one prayer, which I answered".
"Tell me", the first man asked, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered!"
It is so easy to get so caught up in our own (sometimes selfish) point of view and ask God to provide us with what we need (or merely want) while at the same time we forget to pray for others and their needs. It really costs us nothing to do so (except a bit of our pride), yet it has a much stronger effect on all those around us as well as on us too.
Interestingly one notices that it is significant how large a perentage of St Paul's prayers involved petitions for other people, and how few involved petitions for personal needs. "I urge you, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone". (2 Timothy 2:1)
May God help us to be sensitive to the needs of others arounf us, and take advantage of every opportunity to lay their concerns at the feet of our Father.
