Will America’s Pride Be Her Downfall?
During Ronald Reagan's political career, even before he became our 40th president, he described America as a shining city on a hill. Many political figures have repeated this idea since Reagan said it, viewing America as a special nation created by God to change the world. As I listen to many of the voices today, I wonder if this idea has moved from a sense of purpose to a measure of pride. By pride, I am not referring to the type that gives you a sense of satisfaction for a job well done. I am referring to the type of pride that causes you to believe you are special and better than everyone else. If this is the case, then that is cause for alarm because that is the type of pride that does not lift our nation but might lead to its downfall.
What Does the Bible Say about Pride?
The Bible is clear that God hates pride, and those who exhibit it often come to great ruin. We have seen this in individuals and nations.
In Acts, Herod, dressed in his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a speech to the people. Those in attendance declared this was the voice of a god, and Herod accepted that as true. He failed to give God praise, and God immediately struck him down, causing worms to eat him, and he died. His pride led to his death.
Nebuchadnezzar ruled over the Babylonian empire. At one point, he boasted about how great his kingdom was and how he alone did all this himself. God responded by causing him to lose his mind and live like an animal for seven years. He stayed in this condition until he humbled himself and gave glory and honor to God. Pride was also his downfall.
As I consider this air of pride that permeates through our country, perhaps the story that best parallels with this is the one of King Uzziah. You can read his story in 2 Chronicles 26, but it begins with a humble king who did right in the eyes of the Lord. The Bible tells us that as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. During his reign, he went to war against his enemies and defeated them. He fortified the walls of Jerusalem, making the city strong. Not only did he build a powerful city, but he also had an army that was trained and ready for war, and he was a mighty supporter of the king. The strength and size of his army made people second guess going against him. Aside from that, he had ingenuity to create weapons that would make his city even more difficult to attack. Because of all these things, his fame and power grew.
Uzziah, however, fell victim to pride. Once he became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. As a powerful, prideful man, Uzziah thought he could enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense on the altar of incense. God forbid this and was something only the priests could do. The priests tried to warn him, but he became angry and raged at them. Here is how God responded.
Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand, ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. - 2 Chronicles 26:19
Uzziah had leprosy for the rest of his life, and this once powerful man lived in separation while his son took charge of the palace and governed his place. Uzziah was banned from the palace and the temple of the Lord until the day he died. This is proof of how ugly pride is and the consequences that can result from it.
Has America Become Like Uzziah?
I see many parallels between Uzziah and America. I hope they are apparent to you as well. We may have begun with humble beginnings, but we have drifted far from that. I want you to ponder some things our political leaders and public figures in the 21st century have said about America. I intentionally omitted the speaker's identity so you can concentrate solely on their words. As you read them, ask yourself, does this sound like satisfaction for a job well done, or does this smell like arrogance?
"America is the greatest country that has ever existed."
"We are the greatest nation God has ever created."
"America is not just the world's only superpower; we are the world's indispensable nation."
"America is not just a country; it's humanity's best hope."
"America is the greatest nation that ever existed."
"We are the nation that shapes history; history does not shape us."
"God has raised up America as the last beacon of hope."
"America is the last hope of Christian civilization."
"If America fails, God's plan for the nations fails."
When I hear statements like these, I wonder if we are exalting America to a level where it doesn't belong. Is America important? Yes. Is America a great nation? Absolutely. Is America indispensable to God's plan? No. If we allow this type of pride to define us, then what will be the outcome? Even when we wrap many of these statements in spiritual language, is that motivated by a thankful spirit of humility or an arrogant spirit of pride? This concerns me and makes me wonder if this type of pride will lead to the downfall of America.
The Shining City on a Hill
In Matthew 5, Jesus refers to his disciples and all Christians as the light of the world.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. - Matthew 5:14 (ESV)
When Reagan made his statement, he was referring to America. When Jesus said this, clearly he wasn't. Seventeen centuries later, there was a sermon written by John Winthrop on December 31, 1630, titled The Model of Christian Charity. In this sermon, he talked about the model of how love looks in relation to how we treat each other regardless of the status we hold in society. During this sermon, he mentioned a city on a hill, but I want you to notice how he positioned it.
"For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world." - John Winthrop
I hope you can see the difference. John was not boasting about how wonderful we are but sounding an alarm that if we don't remain faithful in our commitment to God, then we will become a byword to the world, simply an afterthought. For him, a city on a hill was not about the majesty or prominence of America nor declaring how much better we are than every other nation. This was about American humility, not projecting how great America is. Have we forgotten that it is our humility that makes room for our greatness? The moment we forget, then we are prone to be the next Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, or Uzziah.
Our Arms Are Too Short
The Bible tells us God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we stand in pride, then God is standing against us.
On September 7, 1982, a production called "Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God" opened on Broadway. This play had limited success, and it had a brief run on Broadway. However, the truth of that statement is clear when I think about pride in America. If it continues, we are playing a dangerous game because pride means God will set himself against us and our arms are too short to box with God.
When you think about America, be proud of the many things our nation has accomplished and the influence it has had over the years. However, don't let that sense of accomplishment turn into pride and arrogance. When that happens, it is only a matter of time because destruction is coming. Let's pray that we would be a humble nation led by humble leaders who recognize that we are not the byproduct of our own hands but the result of the grace of God.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. - Luke 14:11
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/zpagistock
Originally published March 24, 2025.
