Not many of us will confess to being arrogant. Yet, we can sometimes behave in an arrogant fashion when we refuse instruction. I’m talking about godly instruction.

Some of us will not submit ourselves to teaching because we feel that we know it all already. That’s why we cannot ever make it to events where the Word of God is broken down into bit-sized pieces.

Some of us will not listen to the Lord because we feel that we have already devised a full-proof plan and that somehow our ways are better than His. That’s why we do not spend time in prayer and meditation – listening to what God will tell us.

Now, we may not openly confess these items. We may not even realize it. But, when we take a closer look at our lives, certain things about us come to the surface. And, if you are reading this and saying it’s not you, to God be the glory, but keep reading just in case you can use this material to help someone else…

I was reading Isaiah 29 where the people honored God with their mouth and lips but not with their heart. Their reverence of the Lord was more of an intellectual thing than a worship thing. They had been taught that this was the right thing to do. And whether they realized it or not, they had taken on an arrogant stance towards God.

Why do I say this? Arrogance takes on the attitude of superiority. If I think carefully about this – if I can attempt to commune with God, yet not be moved – doesn’t that mean that my view of God is too small – or maybe I’m too big, placing myself in a position of superiority. If I can open my mouth and recite something to Him yet not engage my heart, I have now taken on an attitude that whatever is keeping me from engaging my heart is more important than God. This is an attitude of superiority. It is the lack of putting God in His rightful position.

It is relying on what we have been taught instead of relying on God. Yet, if I rely on my teaching, then it takes superiority over my learning to rely on God – I’m too busy relying on my teaching. Yet, just as in this chapter, we will soon know that God will not be mocked. We must depend on Him. We must lean on Him if we are to thrive as Christians. Believers do not have room for arrogance.

God has revealed enough of Himself throughout the Scriptures that there should not be any doubt in our hearts about Who He is. So, therefore, we must confront the part of ourselves that dares to be arrogant; believing in its own self-sufficiency. We must then come to a point in true wisdom – knowing that God alone is our source.