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Patience vs. Pride

Bible story: King Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 4

Theme Verse: Ecclesiastes 7:8

Today we are learning about pride and how it can take us down. In fact, pride can totally destroy us if we let it! The truth is that we should always recognize that God is the one who has helped us achieve whatever we have, and He should receive all the credit. The more we boast in our own achievements, the more trouble we can get into.

Today's Bible story is about king Nebuchadnezzar who stood on his roof, gazing out at his wonderful kingdom. He thought to himself, "What a fabulous city I have made by my own might," basically saying, "I am so great!" God had warned this king a year earlier in a dream to be careful with pride, or God himself would humble him. However, there he was standing on his rooftop, full of pride for all that he had accomplished. So God humbled him. The words were still on the king's lips when a voice came from heaven taking his authority away. He was driven away from the palace and lost his mind. He wandered in fields outside the city like cattle while his hair and nails grew. This famous king became like a wild animal living alone outside.

Pride is an ugly sin, and God has no patience for it. God can humble men, taking away their fabulous jobs or causing them to lose money. God is all-sovereign, and He cares about us. When we become prideful, it is in our best interest that God humbles us. On the other hand, we can make life easier by humbling ourselves before He has to do it. Pride is an enemy against the fruit of the spirit.

This month we are learning about patience. It can be very difficult to wait. Sometimes we have to wait on God to fulfill a dream He promised, or we have to wait on others to do what they promised. Either way, pride can get in the way of our patience. The higher we think of ourselves, the less we want to wait on others. A king should not have to wait for anyone! So the more we think we are like kings, the less we want to wait. The Bible says that this king lived like an animal for seven “times,” which may have meant seven years! After that time, king Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven and acknowledged that God was the real king of the earth, and he praised God and glorified Him. His sanity returned to him, and he was restored as king.

Do you want to be humbled by God or to humble yourself? You choose.

Questions:

1. Do you think the king actually went crazy and ate grass?

2. How could the king have humbled himself so that God did not have to?

3. How do people act like kings in your community? What does it look like?

Life Application:

Do some activities to humble yourself. You could give someone your place in line, avoid watching a TV show where the characters are full of pride, give up your spot on stage or in front of others, or allow others to be correct.