“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” —Habakkuk 2:4 ESV
The proud person’s soul is not upright, though by outward stance they may appear to be very much vertical and by their standard of living look successful. Onlookers may say that these men and women have it all together. They’ve figured out a way to come out on top. They’re the winners. The leaders.
But what’s on the inside is not upright. Not vertical. Not advancing. Not good. And it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Reality resides in our interior world.
Isn’t it ironic that the image of pride that often comes to mind is of one who stretches themselves outward and upward to give the impression of strength. Yet in reality their soul is “not upright,” it has fallen over.
The righteous have no need of demonstrative cover-ups because they have no appearances to keep up. They gladly admit that they played no part in getting their soul to its upright position.
Make it Personal
An upright soul is humble and grateful. To keep your soul from tipping over, meditate on 1 Corinthians 4:6–7.