Pride - Part 1

“In all his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Psalm 10:4
 
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you’re looking down, you can’t see something that’s above you.” C. S. Lewis
 
While Aristotle considered pride to be a profound virtue, St Augustine defined pride as “the love of one’s own excellence.” In this sense, the opposite of pride is humility. 
 
Without question, the best way to discourage pride from growing in our children is to encourage humility. A humble posture places us below our Creator God, and willingly – even joyfully – admits that this life is not about ourselves. While pride says, “Look at what I’ve done!” humility points to the even greater work of God in Christ, something we could never accomplish. While pride says, “Look at how important I am!” humility maintains an outward focus, looking for the importance in each and every person. How can we cultivate this posture of humility among kids who are chronically self-absorbed? 

1. Admit your faults and need for a savior – Some people think that effective leadership comes from a place of strength and authority. While that may work in the military, it is not so great at home. We create a self-defeated posture in our kids if they perceive we never do wrong. One of the most powerful acts of parental leadership is the moment you sit down with your son or daughter and state, “I messed up. I made a bad decision, I accept responsibility for the consequences, and I’ll seek to make things right with that person.   I’m so glad for God’s forgiveness and grace today. In this way, we’re just alike.” 
2. Celebrate a good job, and look to give away credit to others – There is absolutely nothing wrong with a feeling of accomplishment, an emotion that many mistake for pride. However, few accomplishments come completely solo. Encourage your kids to talk about the “team effort” or the other people who made a contribution to the goal. Model this at home by giving credit to your kids when they help with a family project. 
3. Think about God, out loud, with your kids – As the psalmist points out, the prideful person doesn’t have room in his thoughts for God. In our conversations at home, point out the Divine involvement in your day, the ways that God blessed you, or enabled you to respond appropriately to a bad situation. Simple statements like, “With God’s help…”, reinforce that we can’t live for His glory on our own, and that humility points people to Him. 

 
 

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Camper Corner:
How do you see pride show up in your friends? What is one thing you are glad that you accomplished? Who else should deserve some of the credit for that accomplishment?