The Temptation of Power and Glory

Pride is perhaps the greatest temptation of all.

Pride manifests itself as “I got this” in our lives and unfortunately can lead to compromised values for temporary gains.

Being the best at something is a great feeling and too often that leads to immoral decisions as the quest to remain on top is a powerful driver. Consider the pride that manifested itself in the life of professional cyclist Lance Armstrong. He achieved more on a bicycle than anyone before him, including a battle against cancer, where he won, and yet through a series of unfortunate decisions he found himself in a position vehemently denying the use of performance-enhancing drugs. His fall from grace came when it was finally proven that he had been involved in a long-running doping scheme, which stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles and banned him from the sport.

While that happened very much in the national spotlight the same level of decision making can rob us of what God desires and it begins when the decision is made to deny God and follow our own desires. Lance, like many professional athletes, found his identity in the sport he loved. The pride that came with being the best was as powerful as any drug in existence. That longing for greatness, and at the same time relevance, leads to compromised actions that rarely align with our values.

Lance’s story displays that yes we can have all the kingdoms of a temporary life but both the life and the kingdoms will be temporary.

Jesus lays out a framework that serves us well whenever the temptation of pride begins to raise its nasty head. He immediately reminded Satan that we are to keep the main thing the main thing. For those choosing to follow Jesus, it means that God must come first in our lives, and when we do that a natural drive to walk in obedience will begin to surface in our actions.

Choosing to serve God in every decision we make is a sure fire way to defeat the temptation of pride and at the same time, it opens up the possibility of God revealing His blessings to us as we take each step. Remember that the blessing that God desires for us may be just on the other side of the next step of obedience. Take each step with assurance that when you are pursuing Him the path will not necessarily be easy but it will assuredly be better!

The beauty of this account lies with the last verse. Satan, after three attempts of attacking Jesus, had to take his ball and go home. Whether you are struggling with the temptation of the flesh, the temptation of presumption or the temptation of pride, know that when you choose to get up each day and pursue God, incredible things will begin to happen. At the same time we need to remember when we are under attack that a guest who is ignored soon departs! Keep walking in obedience and choose each day to resist the temptation by picking up your cross and following Him.

Questions to Consider

1. What practical steps can someone take to ensure that their actions align with their values when faced with opportunities for personal gain that may lead them astray?
2. In what ways can the pursuit of power and recognition lead to ethical compromises in professional or personal life?

--------

Thank You

We hope you enjoyed this devotional. For more resources to help you become the leader God intends you to be, visit https://thelionwithin.us.