It seems that a great downfall of leaders in the bible was the presence of strength. That's an ironic quality to become a person's downfall, but especially in the case of Uzziah, his strength brought his ultimate demise. When it comes to leadership (and even just daily living for everyone), God isn't interested in strength. As a culture, we tend to gravitate towards the strong leaders because it seems like they have direction in life and know where they're going and what they're doing. The temptation to be strong, however, is to rely on self rather than on God. Uzziah became so good at what he did that he didn't need God's help anymore. At that point, pride elevated Uzziah's self-esteem to the level of a god, and he forgot the holiness of the One who placed him in his position of leadership. Strength is a dangerous thing, and the one who finds himself to be strong should seek to become weak once again. God will have no rival, and He has a habit of humbling the proud.
About Seth
Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have two daughters, Madelyn and Noelle.
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