Two opposites.
Haman was the epitome of being prideful.
Time and time again, he thought only of himself, he took personal offense to everything, and he felt like he needed to get revenge for any unfairness in his life.
And then we have Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, who seemed to be the epitome of humility.
He waited endlessly outside the palace doors to learn what his sweet cousin/adopted daughter was up to, he helped the king, he mourned with others when they received devastating news, and he humbly asked for Esther’s help.
So how does the story of Esther end up?
In Esther 8:2, we learn “the king took off his ring which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.”
Mordecai completely replaced Haman!
In other words, humility and selflessness completely replaced pride and selfishness.
Pride got Haman the immediate accomplishments and praise.
Humility got Mordecai the delayed awe and respect.
Pride told Haman that he deserved honor because of his title.
Humility taught Mordecai to do good works and not worry about the rest.
Pride taught Haman to take personal offense and to feel like he needed to teach others a lesson.
Humility taught Mordecai to fast and pray, to mourn and comfort others.
Pride is flashy, impressive, and usually results in immediate rewards and attention.
But humility always wins in the long-run.
How can you work today to grow your humility and selflessness so much that you kick out the pride?
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
2 Responses
This is something I pray about every day. I constantly ask the Lord not to let pride get the better of me. In my daily prayers, I plead with Him to help me be of good cheer, humble in heart, meek, and lowly.
I pray that He will bless me with the humility to respond with patience instead of anger, especially in situations where my natural reaction would be to become upset or defensive. I ask Him to help me remain calm when I receive correction, face disappointment, or encounter difficult and devastating circumstances.
My desire is to become more like the Saviour—to have a heart that is soft, teachable, and willing to submit to God’s will. I want to respond with love rather than pride, with meekness rather than retaliation, and with faith rather than emotion. I know this is not something I can accomplish on my own, but through the Lord’s grace, I believe He can change my heart and help me become the humble disciple He wants me to be.
Oh, I love this so much! Thank you for sharing! <3