Pride
During the 2000–01 Football Season, Tampa Bay wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson made headlines before a game with his former team, the New York Jets. When Keyshawn was traded, his starting place in the New York lineup was given to the smaller and slower Wayne Chrebet.
Johnson contrasted himself with his former teammate in the October 2, 2000 edition of Sports Illustrated by saying, “You’re trying to compare a flashlight to a star. Flashlights only last so long. A star is in the sky forever.” Yet when the two teams met on the field, the flashlight shone brighter. The star, Keyshawn Johnson, caught only one pass for minimal yardage, while the flashlight, Wayne Chrebet, caught the game-winning pass with fifty-two seconds left in regulation. Perhaps Johnson’s comments motivated Chrebet to reach new heights in his game. They certainly didn’t do anything for Johnson.
Johnson isn’t the first athlete to learn that his field's performance always gets the last word. Don’t get me wrong, Johnson is a fine athlete and is piecing together a tremendous career. To date, he has four 1000-yard seasons and missed the mark by only 19 yards last year while playing for the Dallas Cowboys. In 2001, he had over 100 receptions and 1266 yards. But the fact remains that Chrebet outperformed Johnson on September 24, 2000. Shortly after the game, James Alder wrote, “Isn’t it ironic that the player that was supposed to make the Buccaneers Super Bowl contenders could be the one that causes it to all fall apart?”
Pride does that. It brings down others while attempting to puff itself up, and in the end, it leads to humiliation, not only for the prideful person but for others who are counting on him.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Wilson, Jim L. Fresh Start Devotionals. Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009. Print.
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