7 Sins Of A Disengaged Dad: 7 Day Bible Reading PlanНамуна

Pride 

Who hasn't spent at least a little time drinking deep from this fatal fountain?

Think you don’t have a problem with pride? How hard is it for you to admit you can’t do something? Ask for help? Stop and ask for directions? Tell the truth about the size of fish you caught?

Pride has been deadly since before the beginning. Lucifer wasn’t satisfied with circling the throne of God. He wanted to sit in the seat. And, ultimately, this is the root of pride—us trying to sit in God’s seat. It's a problem of worship. We want our good works,  reputations, job, possessions, even wife and children to point others toward “worshiping” us instead of God (Matthew 5:16).

So what is the battle plan to fight off pride? Humility. Sometimes we confuse humility with self-deprecation. We get this wrong notion that in order to be humble we have to think lowly of ourselves. 

Humility does not mean making less of ourselves but rather making more of others. Thinking more of others leaves little room for thinking of self. Paul instructed the church at Philippi, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,” (Philippians 2:3-4). Could Paul have given better advice than this for the Christian dad! 

To put off pride, we must learn to put on humility. Being humble shouldn’t be something we do but something we are. Peter tells us to “clothe” ourselves in humility (1 Peter 5:5-7). I love this imagery. It’s possible that you’ve wondered about what clothes to wear before you leave the house but you’ve probably never wondered about ifyou’d wear clothes. Getting dressed before going out is something you do without thinking. When it comes to being humble, doing it without thinking is the goal. 

This is a lofty goal and one we can’t accomplish on our own (to think so would be prideful). By passing our cares and the responsibility of owning the spotlight over to our Heavenly Father, we will discover a freedom and joy that can be found in nothing else. Click here for a full eBook about putting off pride and eliminating the rest of the deadly sins.

Prayer

God, give me grace to be humble in all things. Please, help me see when pride shows itself in my life and eliminate it. I don’t want to lead my family from an example of pride. I want my wife and kids to see a humble leader—a leader who points to you—in all things. Amen. 

Reflection Question

In what specific ways can you start thinking of others as more important than yourself?