Have you ever played a real game of pinball? Not the virtual kind on a computer or xBox, but the stand-up, hold the sides of the table, real pinball? Or maybe stood on the side and watched someone play …?
The player starts the game by pulling a lever back that sends a silver ball souring through an obstacle course of pings and bangs while the player controls more flippers that bounce the silver ball around trying to get points by staying on the board and avoiding the elusive pit at the base that can swallow the ball.
I was praying recently about a situation where pride is obviously at the core of an offense. And as I prayed, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a pinball machine. It wasn’t hard to see the similarity of a player’s actions with that of a person operating in pride and offense.
Pinball is a defensive game. When the ball starts to head down toward the base, the player has to aggressively punch the triggers to try to send it back out toward the top. In the same way, when pride is involved in an attack, defense mechanisms kick in and boomerangs the ball right back out. And most often, the situation gets more and more aggressive. Just like the ball that pings around hitting everything in sight, so does the dialog and actions of those fueled by pride.
Proverbs wisely says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18). When you think about it, every game of pinball eventually ends in a loss. There’s no winner. I mean, the game can go on for quite some time as a player appears to be winning, but eventually, game over — it’s just a matter of time.
The same is true for pride.
You can play that game for awhile, but are you really winning? Or just prolonging the fall? That ball is eventually going to get past you, no matter how hard you try to ping it back up the board.
“Wisdom opens your heart to receive wise counsel, but pride closes your ears to advice and gives birth to only quarrels and strife” (Proverbs 13:10, TPT). This is the boomerang of pride. Instead of listening to the Holy Spirit to simmer down and walk in love with those that are offending you, your closed heart responds in argument (whether through words or boisterous body language). And it’s all pride. It’s the same snare that brought Satan down. The same snare Paul warned Timothy of, concerning putting new people in leadership too soon — “He must not be a new convert, or he may [develop a beclouded and stupid state of mind] as the result of pride [be blinded by conceit, and] fall into the condemnation that the devil [once] did” (1 Timothy 3:6, AMPC).
The solution is to not play the game. Walk away. Don’t start the match. And if you find yourself caught up in it, swallow your pride (let the ball fall).
Instead, pray for your adversaries (whoever they are). But also recognize your own temptation to spit out balls of offense, triggering all kinds of reactions within you. Where does this come from? James 4:1-2 says, “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves” (MSG).
When you and I step up to the pinball machine, we walk away from the love of God. Know that. Know that the battle inside of you to fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires is the opposite of submitting to the love of God — and you’ll never win. It’s just a matter of time until that ball falls.
Instead, let the wisdom of Proverbs 4:23 guide you: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Just like the ball that starts the game of pinball, your heart is where everything starts (springs forth). So guard it. Make sure what is released is good, wise, and God-honoring– and if anything else tries to spring out of your heart, talk to God about it. Repent. Let Him be your Healer.
