7/28/2019 The Story of Job: Our Pride Drives Our Friends
Away
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The Story of Job:Losing Friends We Value Most
Because Were Prideful
Matthew 5:13New International Version (NIV, 2013)
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its
saltiness, how can itbe made salty again? It is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrownout and trampled underfoot.
You and I, all of us, may learn from Job. At one time feeling
self-righteous, he
slammed his friends1.We, too, may fall into the same trap. But,
in our attempt tolearn from his story, we should avoid assuming
that we might be, at some point in
time anywhere somehow, be like Job. Because when we begin to
think like we were
Job, the man from the land of Uz, who was blameless and upright,
and who feared
God and shunned evil despite his affluence (wealth), we feel
that the whole world is
up and against us, when it isn't. Are we blameless and upright
that we may
somehow qualify ourselves similar to him in character and
personality? Do we fear
God as he did? Have we avoided sinful avenues and actions as was
his success
despite his personal fortune and good connections in the
community? When we
struggle from the consequences of our shortcomings, we begin to
think that others
are ganging up on us, when they were simply asking us to
consider our faults. Webegin to imagine that others are imposing
their theology on us, on yours, and the
result is animosity. We begin to conjure the imagery of friends
and acquaintances
speaking in deceit and dishing out lies, as they were in concert
to put us down.
There is only one Job whose life we may be able to examine.
There is no way we
could ever be a righteous, well-spoken, cut-and-paste replica of
him. That there is
only one Job is surely rocket science; for anyone to think there
will ever be another
7/28/2019 The Story of Job: Our Pride Drives Our Friends
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Job is a delusion --- dangerous as toxic yeast, explosive as a
gunpowder keg, and
divisive as chemical catalyst between plastic and alloy.
When we liken ourselves to Job, who thought he was never ever
inferior to his
friends, we become a flashpoint of disaffection, like salt that
had lost its salinity and
taste, which may no longer be useful and available for adding
flavour to the lives ofpeople we meet. When we lose the trust and
confidence of our friends and family, it
might be an uphill climb for us to regaining their belief on our
capability to repent,
bounce back, and be well within their graces again. There may be
opportunities to
repair the damage, but it is unclear how certain it may
occur.
When we allow pride to steer our emotion and rule over our
intelligence and
wisdom, we are heading for destruction away from Gods favour and
losing the
right perspective. Naaman took offense at Elishas advice to wash
himself seven
times at the Jordan2. Hezekiah flaunted his personal fortunes
before his visitors3 and
later caught Gods ire4. Uzziah defied the word of his priest5.
Haman, who was
enraged when Mordecai refused to kneel before him6
, wanted punishment for theman7. Moreover, he sought the kings
appreciation8 but he failed, up to a point when
the king ordered him killed9.
Job is unique, for God took him for who he was and vindicated
him10 -- a tested proof
of obedience and worshipfulness, of which we can never ever be.
You and I might
only become who we might unpredictably become after the testing
of our faith. We
cannot be sure if we will survive the test and make it to
heaven's gate. So, bible-
speak and the word of God in Proverbs cannot be wrong: Pride11
comes before the
fall. Beware!
Canturias, Abbey B.Metro Cebu Christian ChurchReferences:
1Job 13: Job criticized his friends2 2 Kings 5:11-13: When we
take offense at spiritual advice3 2 Kings 20:13: When we take pride
over our personal possessions4 2 Chronicles 32:31: God exposed
Hezekiahs pride5 2 Chronicles 26:16-19 Pride preceded Uzziahs
downfall6 Esther 3:5: Haman exploded into rage against Mordecai7
Ester 5:11-13: Haman wanted the worst lot against Mordecai8 Esther
6:6: Haman wanted appreciation for himself9
Esther 7:10 Haman was killed on the kings order10 Job 42:10-17
God restored Jobs fortunes11 Proverbs 16:18: Pride precedes
downfall
