As I face retirement after 35 years of working as a nurse for the State of California, two words come to mind: pride and humility.
While employed, I took pride in receiving a steady paycheck and working overtime for Items I could not afford otherwise. The company of my peers, and the respect and admiration of those I supervise, was especially gratifying.
Being employed has come with many benefits that are hard to ignore. Being employed has allowed me to make the excuse of being too tired to do housework, or too tired to wash dishes or to wash clothes or to dust the furniture or clean bathrooms. It has freed me to lean more on my wife, who is retired, to take care of chores around the house. It’s nice coming home to a clean, well-ordered house after a long day at work.
I face the unknown and the overwhelming question: What am I going to do now? Can I really handle being a retired person? Facing retirement is a frightening and a humbling experience. It is hard to admit that, over time, I have developed more pride at being at work, compared to the humbling prospect of being at home.
The Bible has much to say about pride: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 16:5). “The Lord resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble, therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time“ (James 4:6-7).
When I contemplate these texts, I think of King Uzziah. “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekioliah; she was from Jerusalem. King Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, he sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as King Uzziah sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:3-5).
It was King Uzziah that invented mechanical and technological machinery of war. “In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful” (2 Chronicles 26:15).
Uzziah sought the Lord at sixteen. But as he grew older and the blessings came, his pride in himself grew stronger and his trust in God grew weaker. As pride matures, the results ruin the best of kings. His pride spread to his religious life as well.
“As Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall, he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense (2 Chronicles 26:16).
The Lord forcefully warned the king through his high priest: “Azariah with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord, followed King Uzziah into the temple. But Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging, showing violent uncontrollable anger, with great force at the priests and God before the altar of incense in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead for the Lord had inflicted him and he was led out of the temple. King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died, he lived in a separate house, leprous and banned from the temple of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 26:17, 19, 21).
The Lord hates pride because of what it does to God’s children. Pride brought down a great king and made him resistant to God’s clear warnings. Pride is best described as leprosy. Pride never stays localized; it spreads to all areas of your life and will eventually cause disastrous results.
Uzziah did find grace. He still ruled Israel for 52 years, longer than David or Solomon, only Manasseh ruled longer (55 years). The Bible does not say whether King Uzziah repented or not, but I would like to think that he did. None of us is beyond God’s reach of reconciliation.
As I prepare for retirement, perhaps I should think less about my abilities and the challenges ahead and remember what Solomon, Uzziah’s great-great-great-great grandfather, said. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge the Lord, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3: 5-6).
God will direct my paths, although I am retired, both here at church and at home.
Darrin Wright serves as an associate lead elder and enjoys teaching in Destination Sabbath School, as well as assisting his wife, Elizabeth, in FoodPantry+.