Pride

I have really wanted to write this post for a long time. It is something I have been thinking alot about lately.

I will come right out and admit it, this started out with the infertile in me being upset about what some mothers said. But now that I have been thinking about it, and talking about it with people, it really applies to everything!

The comments that got me thinking about it were "I am so proud to be a mother" or "I am proud of my kids". Especially those copy and paste Facebook status'. When I told Eric that he rolled his eyes, and you might too, but hear me out.

Is it really ok to be proud of anything? Doesn't God tell us time and time again not to be proud, but to be humble? After all: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud". 1 Corinthians 13:4

Eric tried to argue with me that boasting was not ok, but pride was because there are different. But that verse says that love does not boast and is not proud! So even if they are different, neither is a loving thing to do.

Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom

Pride is hurtful. It hurts me when I see or hear those comments. Makes me think:

Why are you proud of that?

Isn't it God who blessed you with the ability to have children?

Should you instead be thankful of that blessing?

Isaiah 66:2
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."

God is responsible for all the good things in life. If we are going to boast about anything, it should be about God and what He has done for us.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18
Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

I am guilty of this in other areas of my life. I know I have boasted about my husband a lot. But I still have many friends that are waiting for their Mr. Right (or Mrs) to come into their lives. How does that make them feel when I go on and on about my wonderful husband when they are so longing for one of their own? Probably not very great. Probably hurtful. My husband was a gift from God, not something I deserve or can boast about. I am SO thankful God has blessed with with him. If it weren't for God, I wouldn't have Eric, so all the glory is God's.

Another case is my dog Paris. She is a fantastic at agility, and I was proud of her. Very proud, and I boasted a lot about how good she was. How would that make other people feel with dogs that are much harder to train? They work so hard with their dogs, but aren't seeing the results. I would be discouraged!Instead I should be thankful that God blessed me with a dog that is easily trained, healthy and willing!

Also, I was very proud of myself when I was able to run for 20 minutes. But what about the people who can't walk, who are in wheelchairs, who have no legs, who have back injuries? How would me boasting about that make them feel? Instead I should be thankful that God has given me two legs that can run, and lungs that can handle it!

So lately I have been very aware of my pride and boasting. I am choosing to thank God more often. It has made me realize how many things there are to be thankful for. Sometimes I get so down trodden because of infertility, it seems like I have been blessed with nothing. But the opposite is true. I have many, many blessing to be thankful for, and need to be thinking of what I do have instead of what I don't have. Definitely easier said than done.