Pride

Pride... A word that has caused me problems since I accepted Christ. Pride comes before the fall...pride.

How can a parent be proud of their children without teaching them to be proud? Isn't this something we don't want to teach our kids? Words have always caught me off guard. I take words seriously! My downfall is that I haven't taken the time to learn what the words really mean. Telling your child you are proud of them is telling them they made you happy, they made a right choice. It's another way of saying...well done! Balance this with a strong relationship with Christ and our Heavenly Father and you have a balance that is strong without the weakness of Pride.

I've since mellowed with the whole proud word thing. I will now tell my children when they've done something well that I'm proud of them. Laugh if you must, but that's a huge step for me.

Another stumbling block that has to do with pride is my self image. I've tried to walk a fine line between pride and self destruction...my whole life! A child of God should not think badly of self because, well God made us the way we are and if we put ourself down we are putting God down. That's what I've always told my kids. And I really believe it, but I have a war raging in my brain. When I start putting myself down I kick myself and start thinking of the positive. Then when I start thinking highly of myself, becoming full of pride I kick myself and start thinking negative thoughts, and there you go a merry-go-round...round and round you go, where you stop nobody knows.! Lol

Another struggle I have with pride is when God has blessed me with... stuff. I sometimes feel pride and then quickly it's turned to guilt about what I have, for I feel I don't deserve anything good. I think of all God's children who are so much closer to God than I am, who have so much more faith than I do.

Just a few days ago I read Jeremiah 13:11 and 15-27.

It clicked in my mind...I finally realized what God is saying. God has given all things because He wants to. That's what I said, He wants to! It has absolutely nothing to do with anything I've done or haven't done. To be proud says to God that I did it all myself and I deserve what I have. If I ever do get what I deserve I would be in ruins! Thank you God for choosing me! Praise your name!

If I can share anything with anybody I hope it's that God is a Loving God and He loves to bless His children. No, everything is not always wonderful in our world, but if we Choose to have a relationship with Christ we will see how God loves and blesses us even in the worst of times! Praise your Holy Name Lord!