In the last edition of Called to Serve, I emphasized the necessity of Spirit-empowerment in the believer’s life. The greatest obstacle to that empowerment is pride. James 4:6 warns us plainly: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Uzziah provides a sobering example of what happens when reliance on the Lord gives way to pride. He became king at the age of 16 and began well. “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:4-5). Uzziah’s prosperity was directly tied to his dependence on God.

From Reliance to Pride

With God’s help, King Uzziah strengthened Judah. He fortified cities, built towers and cisterns, advanced agriculture, and expanded military power with innovative weaponry. Uzziah’s leadership was effective and his influence was undeniable.

But success became Uzziah’s snare.

“His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall” (2 Chronicles 26:15–16).

Somewhere along the way, King Uzziah forgot the source of his strength. The passage repeatedly notes his growing fame. When recognition increases, so does vulnerability. If we are not vigilant, success can quietly shift our focus from dependence to selfish ambition.

When we surrender to Christ and say yes to His call, we place His mission above personal privilege. Leadership is not an expansion of entitlement; it is an increase of responsibility.

Merriam-Webster defines ambition in two ways:

• An ardent desire for rank, fame, or power.
• A desire to achieve a particular goal.

The second definition reflects healthy, godly ambition. We should be ambitious to make disciples, plant churches, engage in missions, and share the gospel. The apostle Paul wrote, “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known” (Romans 15:20). Ambition itself is not the problem. Misplaced ambition is.

As we labor faithfully and begin to see results, it becomes easy to drift toward the first definition — a craving for recognition, influence, or applause. The motivation subtly shifts from building His kingdom to building our own. What began as a desire to serve can slowly morph into a desire to be celebrated.

Success tests us.

Social media can accelerate gospel reach, helping us share biblical truth and communicate ministry effectively. But it can also accelerate pride. What begins as ministry promotion can quietly become self-promotion.

To guard against this temptation, our ambition must remain anchored to the Great Commission, tethered to a servant’s heart, and aimed solely at the glory of God. Jesus taught that greatness is found in servanthood.

If we remain dependent, Spirit-empowerment continues. If we become self-reliant, pride follows.

And pride always destroys what dependence has built.

Taking Privileges

Uzziah’s story takes a sobering turn: “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).

Eighty courageous priests, led by Azariah, confronted him: “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests … . Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God” (verse 18).

Pride always reaches beyond its limits.

It was not Uzziah’s role to burn incense. That responsibility belonged to the priests. But pride blurs boundaries and convinces us we are entitled to what God has not assigned.

This stands in sharp contrast to Jesus, who relinquished divine privilege and humbled himself to death on a cross. Jesus did not grasp for position; He embraced servanthood.

Servant leadership does not require false humility or the rejection of every benefit attached to a role. It does require that we neither chase privilege nor anchor our identity in it. Our posture must remain that of a servant.

Paul expressed this clearly: “If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:12, NLT).

The mission outweighs our rights and privileges.

When we surrender to Christ and say yes to His call, we place His mission above personal privilege. Leadership is not an expansion of entitlement; it is an increase of responsibility.

In truth, when we say yes to leadership, we relinquish rights rather than accumulate them.

Our lives are no longer our own.

Rejecting Correction

I would like to think that had Uzziah repented when the priests confronted him, his story might have ended differently. But that is not what happened.

“Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead” (2 Chronicles 26:19). He died a leper, isolated and excluded from the house of the Lord.

When we remember that God is the source, that we are servants, and that everything we accomplish flows from His grace, we remain positioned for lasting impact.

Pride not only resists boundaries — it rejects correction.

In His mercy, God often provides early opportunities to repent from sin and prideful attitudes. In Uzziah’s case, the Lord provided the priests to bring correction, but Uzziah rejected it.

King David faced a similar moment after his adultery with Bathsheba and the arranged death of her husband. “The Lord sent Nathan to David” (2 Samuel 12:1). When confronted, David did not rage — he was heartbroken. He confessed. He repented.

The consequences of David’s sin were severe, but the trajectory of his life was restored. The difference between David and Uzziah was not the absence of failure. It was the presence of repentance.

Correction is not our enemy; it is God’s kindness.

May we receive it as a gift and respond with humility, as David did — not with anger, as Uzziah did.

Application

Humility positions us to be used by the Lord in mighty ways. Pride, by contrast, has been humanity’s downfall since the Garden of Eden.

Uzziah’s story makes the principle unmistakable: When he sought the Lord, God gave Uzziah success. But somewhere along the way, dependence gave way to self-reliance. Uzziah began to believe his own reputation. He mistook God’s blessing for personal greatness.

Self-reliance led to overreach. Uzziah assumed privileges that were not his to claim. He placed himself above correction, and pride finished what success began.

Strategies for Avoiding Pride

The first safeguard against pride is cultivating an ever-deepening personal relationship with God. The following four practices offer a good start in that direction.

1. Daily dependence

God required the Israelites to gather fresh manna each day to teach them daily reliance. They could not store it up. Every morning reinforced the same truth: God is our provider.

Left to ourselves, we forget where our help comes from. A wise practice is to build daily reminders of dependence.

2. Give thanks

Deliberately thank God for His blessings and the gifts He has entrusted to you. Gratitude recalibrates the heart and reminds us that every success flows from God’s hand, not our strength.

3. Pray for the Spirit’s empowerment

Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. Connected to Him, we bear fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15). Power for ministry does not originate in us — it flows through us. Jesus has promised us power to be His witnesses.

4. Choose to serve

When position or success brings special treatment, we face a choice. We can begin to expect it — even demand it — or we can follow Christ’s example and take the lower place. Leaders are not called to be served, but to serve.

Connection to Community

A second safeguard against a Uzziah-like fall is inviting trusted voices into our lives.

My wife and I used to walk a track near our home in Alaska. When I turned to talk to her, I would gradually drift into her lane. Without fail, she would say, “You’re not walking straight.”

That simple correction kept me on course.

We are deeply blessed if we have people who will tell us when we are not walking straight. Had Uzziah welcomed such voices, his story might have ended differently.

Invite your spouse, a colleague, a friend, or a spiritual leader to speak honestly into your life — especially if they see pride surfacing or boundaries blurring. And when they find the courage to confront you, listen. Receive it as grace. God often sends correction before He allows consequences.

In Conclusion

The apostle Peter urges, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another” and “Humble yourselves” (1 Peter 5:5–6). Humility does not happen accidentally. It must be pursued intentionally.

When we remember that God is the source, that we are servants, and that everything we accomplish flows from His grace, we remain positioned for lasting impact.

This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Called to Serve.