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Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.
—Andrew Murrary
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The Hidden Dangers of Pride in Scripture
Would you kill yourself if your advice wasn’t followed?
That question may seem dramatic, but there’s a wild story in 2 Samuel 17 about Ahithophel, a man who killed himself when people didn’t do as he suggested.
When Ahithophel saw that his counsel wasn’t followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself. (vv. 23–24)
This man was one of the wisest people of his day, it was said that when Ahithophel spoke it was as if God were speaking. Yet when his advice was set aside by Absalom, he couldn’t bear it. His pride, his sense of order, his need to be right, became more important than being rightly related to the One who orders all things.
It’s a tragic pattern we also see in Judas. He likely had his own vision of what the Messiah should do—how Jesus should confront Rome, how the kingdom should come. But when Jesus didn’t match that vision, Judas took matters into his own hands, which ended in betrayal. And afterward, gripped with regret and unable to see beyond his failure, Judas also hanged himself.
Pride often shows up not only in arrogance, but in our inability to accept a reality we didn’t script. It’s the voice that says, “If it can’t be my way, it’s no way at all.” And if left unchecked, that voice leads us to hopelessness.
But living prayer invites us into a different story. A story where we can release our grip on control. Where we trust God’s wisdom over our own. Where we lay down our version of “how it should be” and receive His way—even when it doesn’t make sense.
ResponD
This week, if your plans are frustrated or if your counsel is ignored, resist the temptation to retreat into bitterness or despair. Instead, bring it to God. Let Him remind you that His ways are higher, His timing perfect, His heart for you unshakable.
Closing Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I’ve clung to my way more than Yours.
Help me to release my need for control,
to trust You when my plans fall apart,
and to believe that Your wisdom is better than mine.
Guard me from pride,
and lead me into humility, hope, and trust. Amen.
Praying with you,
Addison
P.S. I mention this each time because we always have new people—hello, if that’s you!— but if you don’t have the Words with God book yet, be sure to grab it from Amazon or the Messenger Store.
