“… if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12, NIV)
It is important in life to be confident in your abilities. If you have a strong faith, you need to be confident as you tackle obstacles. If you are well trained, you need to trust in what you have been taught. Being confident not only gives you strength to face challenges, it gives you an air of authority that others need during difficult times. A confident general will give courage to the soldiers under his or her command. A confident hairdresser will make you feel at ease with choosing a new hair style. Confidence is a wonderful asset. However, overconfidence is a bad trait. It can cause you to take chances for which you are not ready. It can convince others to trust you when they should not. Overconfidence in your spiritual gifts can lead to your downfall. Sadly, overconfidence will often ensure that others fail along with you.
Golf immortal Arnold Palmer recalls a lesson about overconfidence:
“It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations." I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus.
On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trap, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don't forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven't in the 30 years since.” (Carol Mann, The 19th Hole, quoted in Reader's Digest).
If a professional golfer such as Arnold Palmer can be overconfident in his game, you surely can be overconfident in your abilities, even in areas where you are highly gifted. That’s why one firefighter’s home burned to the ground when he left oily rags to dry in the garbage on a hot day. That’s what happened when a counselor overlooked the seriousness of a patient’s depression that resulted in the patient attempting suicide. Even the best of people can be blindsided when their overconfidence causes blind spots in reasoning.
Paul began 1 Corinthians 10 by speaking of the faithful Israelites who witnessed the parting of the Red Sea. This generation of the faithful also witnessed other great miracles like being fed with manna in the wilderness and receiving freshwater that burst from a rock in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). But those same faithful Israelites who saw such great miracles wrought by God were also the same people who worshipped idols at the base of Mt. Sinai and who doubted God’s providence in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:5). Overconfidence in their faith cost the Israelites dearly when temptations came their way. Upon reminiscing upon these facts, Paul concluded in our scripture for today that “if you think you are standing firm, be careful you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12). In essence, Paul was warning all his readers that they should refrain from being overconfident in their spiritual life. Under the right conditions, that overconfidence could easily lead to downfall and sin.
Ed and Lorraine Warren were well-known authorities in the Roman Catholic Church. For years, they studied spiritual phenomenon, demonic spirits, and spiritualism. They were experts in the field of exorcism, often consulting with the Church and various priests trained for work with demonic spirits. Several famous movies were made using information gleaned from their research such as “The Conjuring”, “Annabelle”, and “The Nun”. During many of their interviews and seminars, the Warrens were adamant that very few people were spiritually strong enough to handle evil spirits or demonic entities one-on-one. The Roman Catholic Church even has special training for exorcist priests, training that first appeared way back in 1614 AD! For centuries it has been taught and believed that a person who is overconfident in dealing with evil may easily succumb to evil spirits!
Daniel was a pastor and well-known counselor. He was sought after for his awesome public-speaking abilities. When he taught Bible Studies, he was extremely well received. He had quite the following. After being on tour for six weeks due to his latest book release, Daniel stopped home for a surprise visit. His daughter was turning sixteen in a few days, and he wanted to be home for the party that was planned. However, upon entering his house unexpectedly, he found his wife and a best friend in an embrace. After the initial shock and outburst, Daniel discovered that his wife had been having an affair for months. This pastor and well-known counselor had overlooked the signs that his marriage was in trouble and missed all the clues that his wife was having an affair. He was so focused on his new book and tour that he misread all the warning signs. Though very gifted spiritually, Daniel was blind to what was happening right before his eyes.
You may be close to God and have wonderful spiritual gifts and abilities, but you too are capable of an overconfident spirit. Paul warns against this in our scripture for today. Every one of us is vulnerable to deception and can overlook even the most obvious of signs. Often those who are blindsided by a failure in life can look back and see how God was sending warnings. I’ve known many a Christian who responded with the words, “I knew I should have listened to what God was telling me….. I see it now….”. Jesus cautioned his disciples to be “as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). This includes being realistic in your self-examination. Satan is called “The Deceiver”, because he enjoys blindsiding even the most faithful.
Is there an area of your life where you might be deceived? Is there a truth that you have a hard time digesting? Are you a little too confident in your abilities? I don’t want you to be blindsided by Satan’s tactics. I don’t want you to overlook important spiritual clues. God will provide you with everything you need. Overconfidence is something you don’t need.
Golf immortal Arnold Palmer recalls a lesson about overconfidence:
“It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations." I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus.
On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trap, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don't forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven't in the 30 years since.” (Carol Mann, The 19th Hole, quoted in Reader's Digest).
If a professional golfer such as Arnold Palmer can be overconfident in his game, you surely can be overconfident in your abilities, even in areas where you are highly gifted. That’s why one firefighter’s home burned to the ground when he left oily rags to dry in the garbage on a hot day. That’s what happened when a counselor overlooked the seriousness of a patient’s depression that resulted in the patient attempting suicide. Even the best of people can be blindsided when their overconfidence causes blind spots in reasoning.
Paul began 1 Corinthians 10 by speaking of the faithful Israelites who witnessed the parting of the Red Sea. This generation of the faithful also witnessed other great miracles like being fed with manna in the wilderness and receiving freshwater that burst from a rock in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). But those same faithful Israelites who saw such great miracles wrought by God were also the same people who worshipped idols at the base of Mt. Sinai and who doubted God’s providence in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:5). Overconfidence in their faith cost the Israelites dearly when temptations came their way. Upon reminiscing upon these facts, Paul concluded in our scripture for today that “if you think you are standing firm, be careful you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12). In essence, Paul was warning all his readers that they should refrain from being overconfident in their spiritual life. Under the right conditions, that overconfidence could easily lead to downfall and sin.
Ed and Lorraine Warren were well-known authorities in the Roman Catholic Church. For years, they studied spiritual phenomenon, demonic spirits, and spiritualism. They were experts in the field of exorcism, often consulting with the Church and various priests trained for work with demonic spirits. Several famous movies were made using information gleaned from their research such as “The Conjuring”, “Annabelle”, and “The Nun”. During many of their interviews and seminars, the Warrens were adamant that very few people were spiritually strong enough to handle evil spirits or demonic entities one-on-one. The Roman Catholic Church even has special training for exorcist priests, training that first appeared way back in 1614 AD! For centuries it has been taught and believed that a person who is overconfident in dealing with evil may easily succumb to evil spirits!
Daniel was a pastor and well-known counselor. He was sought after for his awesome public-speaking abilities. When he taught Bible Studies, he was extremely well received. He had quite the following. After being on tour for six weeks due to his latest book release, Daniel stopped home for a surprise visit. His daughter was turning sixteen in a few days, and he wanted to be home for the party that was planned. However, upon entering his house unexpectedly, he found his wife and a best friend in an embrace. After the initial shock and outburst, Daniel discovered that his wife had been having an affair for months. This pastor and well-known counselor had overlooked the signs that his marriage was in trouble and missed all the clues that his wife was having an affair. He was so focused on his new book and tour that he misread all the warning signs. Though very gifted spiritually, Daniel was blind to what was happening right before his eyes.
You may be close to God and have wonderful spiritual gifts and abilities, but you too are capable of an overconfident spirit. Paul warns against this in our scripture for today. Every one of us is vulnerable to deception and can overlook even the most obvious of signs. Often those who are blindsided by a failure in life can look back and see how God was sending warnings. I’ve known many a Christian who responded with the words, “I knew I should have listened to what God was telling me….. I see it now….”. Jesus cautioned his disciples to be “as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). This includes being realistic in your self-examination. Satan is called “The Deceiver”, because he enjoys blindsiding even the most faithful.
Is there an area of your life where you might be deceived? Is there a truth that you have a hard time digesting? Are you a little too confident in your abilities? I don’t want you to be blindsided by Satan’s tactics. I don’t want you to overlook important spiritual clues. God will provide you with everything you need. Overconfidence is something you don’t need.