You have a little egg on your chin there.

I'm a confident person....most days. I believe in hard work, dedication, and pride in producing a decent result. My achilles heel is over-confidence that creeps into my mind and says, "Randy, you are incredibly awesome! Puff your chest out further." When I get self-centered, It's possible that God shakes a divine head and says, "Prideful Randy, watch this."

I suppose it occurred in the early 90s. I was a certified layspeaker in the United Methodist church and was in the midst of a great struggle to answer a call to ministry. In my mind, I was a pretty fair preacher. Can you see the edge of a sheer cliff in front of me? Oh, it was there shrouded in the fog of my own importance. And then I was brought back to earth by a sweet gray-haired lady one Sunday morning.

I had just finished preaching at our 'town' church and was feeling quite good about the message. I nailed it. As I stood at the back door shaking hands with the congregation, I heard affirming words from a few people. In my head, I was thinking, "Were these folks sleeping through my incredibly good sermon?" There before me stood a sweet lady who was probably in her mid 80s and this is what she said. "Randy, I didn't hear a word you said, but your tie is really pretty." With that she walked away and I was pulled back from a nasty fall off that sheer cliff. Most days, it is good to have the proverbial thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) just to keep me focused on who is most important. (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit) Take some time to laugh at yourself; it is healthy.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.