Haman’s Pride
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or [g]tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10 Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and [h]sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the [i]number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had [j]promoted him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am [k]invited by her with the king. 13 Yet all of this [l]does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a [m]gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the [n]advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
Only a couple chapters before, Haman didn’t even know Mordecai was sitting at the gate, yet here he complains that Mordecai alone is keeping him from being happy and satisfied. Haman had about as much self-control as the king, perhaps less, when he was filled with anger on his way home. So what can we learn from such a horrible example?
First, your happiness should not be in the hands of other people, because they are fickle and will never satisfy you. Haman had a classic “victim mentality”, and the idea that his unhappiness was Mordecai’s fault was a sham. Mordecai wasn’t trying to upset Haman, as he certainly wasn’t waving and drawing attention to himself, nor was he shouting, “Hey Haman, you suck, so I’m not standing or bowing!”
When we allow others to have control over our mood, we are giving them a power that does not belong to them. And truthfully, we are often trying to escape responsibility for our own shortcomings. Instead, we need to give up our own attempts to control things, and give that control to the One who will use it best. We will be most fulfilled and most satisfied when we give up control and let God have his rightful place in our lives, which is right in the driver seat.
God alone can make up for our shortcomings and help us become the men and women He created us to be. God did not create any victims, He made us in his own image, and that’s a far better foundation in which to put your trust, and happiness, and satisfaction.