Pride? Who, Me?
Growing up there was one thing my dad had to tell me more than he should have: “Allison, you need to think before you speak.” My stubborn and prideful self was too focused on how I felt and getting what I had to say off my chest. Meanwhile someone was on the other end of my words, feeling the effects of my emotions.
I allowed things to escalate too quickly, going from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds. Hurt my feelings? Give me the response I didn’t want? Tell me what I was doing wrong? Watch out, because you’d hear a thing or two about how I felt. Proverbs 18:2 says, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his own opinion.” That was the root of my heart problem. My emotions had control over my words, not my mind.
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
How often do we take a second to think about how we are going to respond to someone? Think about it: do you react or do you ponder? This is still a practice I am working on today. When my husband says something that sounds ridiculous, do I tell him that idea is stupid or do I think for a moment and say, “That’s a good idea but what do you think about this?”
Our pride always thinks that we are right. Pride is defined as “the unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority.” Our pride is unreasonable. Why? Because pride doesn’t believe it’s flawed. This kind of lifestyle only sets us up for a massive collapse: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
So, how do we fix this pride issue? What is the antidote? Not talking? Not ever voicing our opinions? No, the solution to our pride is our confession. It is very difficult to be full of pride whenever we make a habit to humbly confess that we are imperfect and we don’t always know everything. Without going to God with a humble heart, He will never be able to discipline and correct us because we will be too busy thinking we are indestructible.
Proverbs 17:27 says, “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” This is who I strive to be. One who restrains my flesh from speaking out of place and replaces it with a cool spirit, understanding and awareness of the conversations I am in. My flesh gets in the way far too much, but praise God for His grace and instruction to show me what areas of my life I need to work on (Psalm 32:8).
Do you struggle with pride? How can you work on it?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am a wife and mother to a new baby girl! I taught dance at a Christian dance studio for 9 years, I've earned a degree in welding and engineering technology, and I have a passion for outreach. God has taken me on some amazing adventures that were sometimes difficult to walk through, and those were the circumstances He used to mold me into who I am today. That journey and molding process is continuing as my husband and our little family will be moving around the US with his job. We are excited to see what adventures God has in store for us next and what all He will show us that I get to share with others, like you!