The Furnace of Affliction

Sometimes to Go Up You Must Go Down!

Do you remember the best day of your life? What was it? A wedding day? A well-deserved promotion? Your graduation? A hard-earned award or recognition of your worth? How fantastic were you feeling at that moment? How fulfilled were you feeling that day? Were you happy, or did you have incomparable joy? Over the years, I have had some pretty high highs and some painfully low lows. Sometimes my lows were self-inflicted, and others came out of nowhere and crushed me to the core. Sometimes God has to use the "reigns of adversity" to guide us on the path He's intended for us. Some of my most incredible highs resulted from being brought low at some points in my life. I share this not to discourage you but to remind you to live each day with a heart of humility. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in what you do or something you've accomplished, but if you want God's best, having humility-inspired DNA is best. Pride leads to disgrace, but wisdom comes with humility. (Proverbs 11:2) There are numerous stories throughout history about falls from grace due to pride. Presidents, actors, and even preachers have all succumbed to pride. I encourage you to live with humility and not force God's hand to bring you low.