Catchy title, I know. Hear me out. We are our own worst enemy at times. We do have a real enemy but a lot of the times that enemy can just use us against ourselves.

So with that said, your ego and pride can really be used against you. If you are a child of God, don’t even think for a minute that God isn’t aware of your un-dealt with ego. He knows. He’s got you.

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

If you have pride operating in you, He knows and as a good Father He lets you fail early to let you know you aren’t in control, your gifts are given by Him but He’s got you. Dependence on Him is so healthy. Fully leaning on Him and not trusting in ourselves, our gifts and abilities. Getting puffed up in the gifts He’s given you and not being focused on the Giver of the gifts is counterproductive and prideful.

Unfortunately, some get into the spot light and let their pride and ego run the show. This scripture still applies. What’s in you, will come out of you. If God turned the light on it in obscurity and you crucified it already, then you are so much better off to run with God in humility!

Pride goes before a fall. That fall though is still the providence and kindness of God. It’s unfortunate that it happens when you have risen because the farther the fall, the more it hurts BUT how much better to deal with it on this side of heaven?

Never forget, Lucifer fell from heaven (far fall!) because of one sin: Pride. He was IN HEAVEN with pride. God let him fall but that was in a way that he can never return again. We on the other hand, have grace to get back up and try again this side of heaven! God knows hearts which is good because pride hides! (helpful that it rhymes so you can remember it!)

How kind that God allows us to fall early so that we can repent and get right on this side of eternity.

So it is counterproductive and feels horrible in the moment to fail but God is protecting us and shaping us. Sometimes even takes years to work its way out of our hearts because pride hides. Hard to deal with something if you don’t know it’s the problem. The enemy would love for you to stay blind to it!
When we put our all into something and it fails – it’s heartbreaking! But when you come out of that and still say, “Lord, I’ve failed but you are still good and I will serve You.” THAT is a heart He can trust with bigger things. That is a humbled heart.

God can use that failure/defeat for your good! It’s character development. Be encouraged today that if you’ve fallen in obscurity or before you have a title or a following etc. THAT is Gods kindness. If you fall before a small group of people, be encouraged – that is Gods kindness toward you. If you fall before a large group of people – be encouraged that is STILL Gods kindness toward you.

God is a God of victory and so failing isn’t in His character. I pray you fail in obscurity. I pray you fail and make bad moves as practice before you make it big. I pray you fail so that you CAN be victorious for Christ as a witness of Him.

The bigger the fall, the more you will need Godly accountability to surround you and to make sure you process your grief in the light of truth. No matter the size of your fall whether recent or long ago, I pray you are encouraged in your heart by this. God is for you!

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purposes.” Romans 8:28