Magdy Samuel

Chapter 4: 6
Conceit and its causes

What were the causes of Hagar’s proud and conceited. The proud which made her lose all the achievements and the privileges she enjoyed?
Through our meditation in Hagar’s life, we can extract some of the causes which we also could be exposed to.

First: Attaining several achievements
Hagar’s accomplishments were many, she succeeded in her work as maidservant until she attained the position of a housemaid to Sarah. In the family side, she got married to Abraham, the great faithful man whom every woman wishes to have as husband. The Holy Book says: "But a faithful man who can find” (Proverbs 20:6) even from the side of maternity, God has not deprived her; she gave birth to a son for Abraham to be the heir of all of his richness.

When we succeed and attain high levels of accomplishments in different fields like work, family, and sometimes in our service, we may slip into the trap of pride. The Bible has warned us many times of this matter saying: “This is what the LORD says:
       "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23, 24)

Dear reader, when you succeed in your life and you achieve various accomplishments in different domains, learn how to return the favor to God and honor him, He who granted you all. "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

Remember that the more you succeed the more you need to pray so that God keeps your heart and thoughts humble. It is a real challenge for you to remain humble against your many accomplishments. Trust that the more you humble yourself before God, the bigger success He will provide you with, in your earthly and spiritual life.

Second: The quickness of success
Sometimes, the quick success during a short time, gives us the feeling of conceit and pride, as was the case with Hagar who was transformed from a servant to be Abraham’s wife, and carried in her womb the heir, in a very few years. She couldn’t go through the quick success so she slipped in the sin of conceit and pride.

That’s why sometimes God gives His beloveds, slow and gradual success, so that they do not fall in the trap of pride.
Thus God may allow us to go through some difficulties, in order to mature our personalities and to let us grow up spiritually, so that when He gives us success, they don’t harm us.

 Therefore, He may be late on some of His giving in order to prepare us to receive them, as the Book says: “A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20)
Also, God warns us regarding spiritual matters saying, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:22). Also Paul said to Timothy about choosing a Deacon, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” (1Timothy 3:6)

Dear reader, if you have achieved quick success in your life, and God has given you abundantly in a short period of time, beware of conceit and arrogance; ask Him to protect your heart from haughtiness, and your feet from slipping into the trap of conceit.

Third: The nature of mankind
Not all whom God gives and honors, and who succeed and attain many achievements are affected with this disease but on the contrary there are many who increase in humility.
Some because of their evil nature, they conceit and feel superior after success , like Hagar which the following verse applies on: “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king,   a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress” (Proverbs 30:21)

This issue is linked to the heart of the man, for when God has honored Joseph and all people admitted his wisdom, even the king himself confessed and said: “there is no one so discerning and wise as you” (Genesis 41:39), Joseph was not proud of what he heard nor felt superior but returned all the favor to his Lord. Joseph reacted through the wisdom God gave him: “I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Genesis 41:16)

Paul, as well, who possessed many of the privileges that he could have boasted about, has not shown any conceit of what he had, but he only was proud of the Lord and his act on the cross and said: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

When God has chosen David and took him from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over His people, and made him King of Israel, David did not boast or feel superior but said: “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes” (2 Samuel 6:22). And in all of his achievements he returned the favor to the Lord.

Dear reader,
Let us pray to the Lord and ask Him to protect us from ourselves and from the deceit of our hearts as the Bible says: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure, who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:9, 10)
May the Lord give us to learn from Him, for He is, gentle and humble in heart, and asked us to learn from him and find rest in our souls: "learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

The spiritual and psychological comfort originates from a humble heart; your happiness and comfort do not increase by the increase of your income or by the improvement of your condition, but by the humbling of your heart.

Magdy Samuel