Never at a loss for words, 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 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.

A man thinks his wife is losing her hearing. A doctor suggests that he try a simple at-home test: Stand behind her, ask her a question from different distances, and see when she can hear it. The man goes home, sees his wife in the kitchen facing the stove, and asks from the door, “What’s for dinner tonight?” No answer. Ten feet behind her, he repeats, “What’s for dinner tonight?” Still no answer. Finally, right behind her he says, “What’s for dinner tonight?” His wife turns around and says, “For the third time—chicken.”

--World April 24, 2010 p. 80 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Jesus taught us to look at our own shortcomings before we blame others.

Matthew 7:3-5 (HCSB) “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? (5) Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Xiao Chen was swimming alone when he became stuck in the mud. The rescuers who found him after four hours were shocked to find he had a cell phone, wrapped in a waterproof bag, with him. He did not use it for “fear of losing face.” Chen then refused to allow the rescuers to remove his pants, keeping his legs trapped in the mud for another seven hours.

--The Week, May 21, 2010 p. 14. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

There are worse things for the proud than spending 11 hours stuck in the mud. Peter tells us that our pride brings us God’s opposition. God plays favorites with the humble.

Proverbs 29:23 (NIV) A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

Do you have a verse to the “somebody done me wrong song?” Most of us do. Most of us know the pain of being treated wrong and rehearsing the wrong in our mind. However, as the years go by, I wonder how accurate our memory is?

In Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes, “Most of the pictures we recall from our past have been retouched. Most of the scripts we can quote from old conversations have been edited for us by pride.”

Maybe, instead of letting pride get the best of us, we should just discard the old memory and forgive the person who wronged us.

Proverbs 8:13 (CEV) “If you respect the LORD, you will hate evil. I hate pride and conceit and deceitful lies.”

Anthony Garcia may have gotten away with murder, were it not for his arrogance. Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide investigator, Kevin Lloyd made the discovery while sifting through photographs. He suddenly noticed the tattoo on Anthony Garcia, which resembled a crime scene familiar to him. The tattoo showed in perfect detail the liquor store with its Christmas lights and the lightpost just outside. The tattoo was essentially a boast made by Anthony of how he had committed murder. The Sheriff’s office finally had their man. Something that likely would not have happened if Garcia had not gotten the tattoo. Garcia was promptly arrested and a confession was easily obtained. He is charged with first-degree murder.

--CBS News- http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20056479-504083.html?tag=cbsnewsTwoColLowerPromoArea;morenews Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Miguel Martinez

Proverbs 14:16 (NASB77) A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless.

Police in New Jersey say an accused carjacker was captured after he let pride get the best of him. They say a 20 year-old-victim reported that her car was stolen at gunpoint by a man wearing on ski mask on January 29. The woman reported the man had taken her cell phone in the robbery as well. After filing her police report, the woman returned home and found a photograph of a strange man on her computer. Her phone had an app that automatically sent all the pictures to her computer.

She printed the picture out and took it back to police. Authorities said one of the officers on duty recognized the man as someone who he had arrested earlier in the week on an unrelated charge. Since the man’s information was on file, police arrested eighteen- year-old Omar Richardson shortly thereafter. Authorities charged him with carjacking, armed robbery and other weapons offenses.

--Police: Cell phone photo leads to Jersey City carjacking arrest, http://www.northjersey.com/news/_Police_Cellphone_photo_leads_to_Jersey_City_carjacking_arrest.html; February 5, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Proverbs 16:18-19 (HCSB) Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. (19) Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud.

A Japanese man who used the Internet to boast about driving three times the speed limit is now facing possible jail term. The fifty year old doctor posted a six minute video showing him driving his Ferrari through southern Japan, at 84 kilometers (52 Miles) an hour above the posted speed limit.

Speed limits in Japan tend to fairly low. The average limit in an urban area is 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph). The man was only averaging 124 kph (75mph), but local media quoted him taunted police saying,” I wanted people to understand the beauty of a Ferrari. I wanted to feel proud.” The video showed the unidentified man passing other cars on a two lane road with the camera mounted behind the driver. Several YouTube users who saw the video called authorities to report the offense.

Police were able to identify the car and driver from the footage. They were able to calculate an average speed by analyzing the distance covered by the vehicle. Though they would not release the driver’s identity, they say he faces a possible fine of 100,000 yen ($1220), or six months in jail if convicted.

--Speeding Ferrari driver caught after YouTube post, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igMvA6kTrPhEx3HJQ_rsQsVCfuvw?
docId=CNG.aa2824371b84a43c56442a67e9e04c28.111; March 10, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Proverbs 11:2 (HCSB) When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.

Australian billionaire Clive Porter has announced plans to build the Titanic II, a modern version of the infamous ocean liner. Porter says, “It is going to be designed so it won’t sink.”

James 4:13-15 (ESV) Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying; “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Romans 12:3 (NIV) For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

A recent poll conducted by YouGov found that only 4 percent of Americans think they are less intelligent than the average person. Since 49% of Americans are actually less intelligent than average, this would indicate that 45% are guilty of ignoring Paul’s admonition to not think more highly of ourselves than we really are.

Humility may be a missing ingredient in modern American life. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Romans 12:3 (HCSB) (3) For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Arthur Brooks is quoted in the New York Times as saying, “Bar none, the unhappiest people I have ever met are those most dedicated to their own self-aggrandizement—the pundits, the TV loudmouths, the media know-it-alls.”

He says that celebrities describe fame as being like drugs and alcohol, once you become addicted, you can’t live without it, no matter how awful it makes you feel most of the time.

Paul talked to that many years ago when he warned us about thinking too highly of ourselves. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

--http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/opinion/sunday/arthur-c-brooks-love-people-not-pleasure.html

Romans 12:3 (HCSB) For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

A Vermont company has created a toaster that will allow individuals to burn their images onto a piece of toast. The president of Vermont Novelty Toaster Corp says, “You don’t have to be famous or Jesus to have your face on toast.”

Burning your image onto your morning toast may just be the epitome of pride.-- Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 8:13 (NASB) "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

As he led a parade through the streets of Cambridge during Harvard’s 250th anniversary, the President was greeted by a banner from the freshman class that read: HARVARD UNIVERSITY HAS WAITED 250 YEARS FOR US!

To a generation that thinks that life is all about them, the sign makes some sense. To a University that has endured over 200 classes of freshmen, it probably doesn’t. --Jim L. Wilson & Steve Irvin

--McIntosh, Gary and Glen Martin. Finding Them, Keeping Them: Effective Strategies for Evangelism and Assimilation in the Local Church. Nashville: B & H Publishing, 1992. p. 58-59

Proverbs 29:23 (HCSB) A person’s pride will humble him, but a humble spirit will gain honor.

In THANKS! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. writes, “We can be proud of our accomplishments yet simultaneously realize they would have been impossible without help from others.”—Jim L. Wilson

Psalm 28:7 (CSB) “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.”

Arizona State Representative Paul Mosley was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy for driving 97 mph in a 55 mph zone. The deputy’s body camera captured Mosley stating that he sometimes drove 130, 140, or 120 on the road because he was in a hurry to get home. The written report said Mosley told him not to waste time on the incident because he had legislative immunity.

Mosley later apologized for the comments, because officials noted that the state constitution provides for certain kinds of immunity, but violations like speeding are not covered. Mosley’s actions caused him to lose the support of a police organization in the upcoming election. John Ortolano, president of the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police said, “Rep. Mosley’s recklessness, his demeanor and his utter disregard for the safety of the public represent the exact opposite of what the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police looks for in an elected official.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

In July, a19-year-old Utahan, Gavin Zimmerman, was hiking in New South Wales, Australia. While taking a cliff-side selfie Zimmerman fell to his death. He is just one of at least 259 people around the world who have died while taking selfies in the last six years. Researchers at All India Institute of Medical Sciences report that drowning was the leading cause of selfie-related deaths, followed by incidents involving transportation—such as taking a selfie in front of an oncoming train—and falling from cliffs, waterfalls, and buildings

All of us with smart phones including a camera like to take an occasional selfie when there is no one else around to snap a photo. The urge to show off, taking a picture doing something dangerous is a cry for attention that can turn fatal. Technology has given us a new attention-getting device. It can become an instrument of pride. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Proverbs 16:18 (CSB) “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.”

A speed camera clocked 71-year-old Richard Keedwell driving at 35mph in a 30 zone, and he subsequently received a citation in the mail, with a fine of $120. This surprised Keedwell, who claimed he was doing only 30mph in the zone. Believing the camera had to be at fault, he decided to fight the ticket and launched an appeal. He hired some experts to defend him in a court about the possibility of it being a faulty camera. However, his appeal failed. Because of his stubbornness, the final cost of his appeal and legal fees was around $37,000, reported as a significant portion of his son’s inheritance.

Hard as it may be, sometimes we just have to admit we are wrong, before our stubbornness gets us in trouble. The final cost could far outweigh the original infraction.—Jim L. Wilson and Derick Wilson.

Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.

Caelie Wilkes admits she was proud of one of her plants, calling it “a beautiful succulent,” and the “perfect plant.” The 24-year-old California woman watered it according to a meticulous schedule for two years. She was so proud of it that when she found a really cute vase she decided it would be the perfect showcase for her perfect plant. When she went to transplant it, she learned the truth. It was a fake plant; the roots were encased in Styrofoam. “I feel like the last two years have been a lie,” she wrote on Facebook. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Whenever we begin to imagine ourselves really good at something, it is always a good thing to look to the roots. We might find the roots of our ability embedded in Styrofoam. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

In 2019 Forbes magazine deemed reality tv star Kylie Jenner “the youngest self-made-billionaire ever.” Further checking has revealed that she fudged on documents related to the sale of her cosmetics company. The real figure of her worth is only $900 million. She fell $100 million short.

Imagine, being worth $900 million is not enough. Reports are that she is deeply hurt that she is not considered even richer. What kind of pride does it take to not be satisfied with so much? —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Galatians 6:3 (CSB) “For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”