The fifth weight you need to let go is pride.
University of Oregon runner Tanguy Pepiot became famous for a very unfortunate reason. In the final lap of a 3k race, Pepiot started to celebrate prematurely what seemed to be an easy win. But Meron Simon came behind him with determination and won the race by 0.10 seconds. In an interview Pepiot said “I thought I was by myself, like, far in front of the second guy. I saw [Simon] on the screen, I tried to pick up, he just got me on the line. I'm not proud of myself right now, but it's a good lesson for me, I think, not to do this in the future. Next time I'll just run the whole final stretch and celebrate in the victory lap.” The internet is full of videos of people celebrating prematurely because human beings are prone to pride. Sometimes we think of ourselves and ourselves only.
Some of us carry this hurtful load of pride. In the case of Elijah, his feelings went quickly from being insecure to being prideful. One moment he thought nothing of himself, the other, he was thinking “Lord, your people has abandoned you, only I have not abandoned you. They have broken the covenant with you, but I am the only one who have not.”
Elijah repeats this concept in 1 Kings 19:10 and 14. “So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
This feeling makes us think that everything depends on us and only we know how things are done. This is the weight of pride you need to let go. Otherwise you will become weak as became Elijah.
The text of 1 Kings 19:4 reads “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness.” Elijah went into hiding. When you are in a high place remember who placed you there. God wants to take you to high places; the wilderness is not where God wants us to be. Have the humility to understand that only the grace of God can take you to great places you do not deserve. Only His goodness, His mercy, His grace. Grace is not linked to personal achievement, but with inheritance. Something we do not deserve, but receive because we are children of God. We did nothing for it, but God gives to us freely. God told Elijah “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18)
So, do not compare yourself with anyone else. You will feel inferior or prideful. Be humble in the Lord.
My prayer today: I will let go the extra load that holding on to destructive feeling have. I will let go of the weight of pride. May I see other people’s needs. May I see God’s grace working in me.
Pastor Lincoln Nogueira