Why we should be careful when we’re tempted to bet on our own horse
By Dean Collins
Whose horse are you betting on? I enjoy watching the three Triple Crown events. There is great majesty in these wonderfully powerful horses running at full speed. It is also fascinating to hear how much money racehorse owners spend as they seek to find the perfect horse and then the millions they spend on keeping and training their prize possessions.
I checked and owners can bet on their own horses. Professional athletes are not allowed to bet on games they are playing in, but most great athletes exhibit great confidence in themselves in pressure situations. A great shooter wants the ball when the game is on the line. A great quarterback wants to run the play when there is just a tick of the clock left and they are behind. And a great hitter wants the bat in his hands in the bottom of the ninth when the game is on the line. Athletic success combined with the number of reps good athletes have taken in their respective sports makes them ready to face big league challenges.
These same tendencies happen to many of us as well. If you are a successful business leader, a private equity investor, a serial entrepreneur, a veteran executive, or a great parent, then your hard work and success have likely given you confidence to face the next challenges. Unfortunately, sometimes our success goes to our heads and we shift from confident to overconfident or maybe even arrogance. Some of this is caused by our inability to see our blind spots and our flaws.
‘A high wall is his imagination’
Solomon speaks to our situation with what he wrote in Proverbs 18:11: “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.”
Just as we can become overconfident in ourselves we can think too much of our possessions. The idol of wealth and the illusion of financial security can become a high wall of imagination. Our stuff can make us think we have all we need when in fact no amount of money can make us happy or solve all of our problems. I cannot tell you how many people I have known who learned this the hard way. They thought they were invincible due to their balance sheet only to watch a market crash, a business disrupter, or a moral failure cause a quick and terrible loss that led them into personal and professional crisis.
‘Satan . . . incited David to number Israel’
And we should be sure that as followers of Jesus Satan, the enemy of God will tempt us to want more and take pride in what “we have accomplished.” The enemy knows that if he can get us confident in self over God, then we are subject to many other temptations. This is exactly what happened as recorded in 1 Chronicles 21: “Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.” And sadly David fell for the temptation even after Joab warned him not to focus on how big and powerful his army was but rather to trust in God.
James is quick to point out that God never tempts us, but each of us can be enticed and lured by our own desires. And once the trap is set, it is easy to get carried away by our pride and self-confidence.
‘The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him’
The psalmist gives both warning and a way out in Psalm 147: “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
God doesn’t delight in our abilities, our cleverness, or our wealth. He takes pleasure in us when we submit to his authority and place all of our trust and hope in his steadfast love. When we place our full hope in God, he smiles, resources, fills us with wisdom, and by the power of the Holy Spirit uses us for his glory!
So don’t go making any bets on your own horse today. Place all the weight of your trust in the God who loves you and sent Jesus to redeem you and restore all things.
Your time with God’s Word
1 Chronicles 21:1-8, 18-30; James 1:13-15; Proverbs 18:11; Psalm 147:10-11 ESV
Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
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