PARENTING :: humility+pride

Last night I fell asleep thinking about how very important to me it is to teach our girls to be humble. Above anything else, it’s really my number one quality to instill in them.

I sat on it, thought about it, and prayed on it up until I fell asleep.

And then this morning’s devotion was about, you guessed it, HUMILITY.

Well that was about enough to send shivers down my spine.

But for real talk, if I can teach my children one thing, to be humble in all they do, receive and give. Then I will consider this job done well.

Any other humility seekers out there? 🙋🏻‍♀️

So having read the devotion today, I’m left wondering why humility is so important in my motherhood journey? And I think, honestly, it’s because of my own scars and experiences. The lack of validating my own feelings when I’ve felt wronged by others.

I know two things in relation to humility.

One, it’s hard. It’s one of the hardest things I have to do every day.

Two, it’s one of the most hurtful experiences for me when a loved one won’t shake their pride and be humble in asking for forgiveness.

And because of the hurts I’ve felt from others pride, and the struggle I have with my own, I so strongly want my children to know and honor humility.

But when it comes to humility and pride, there’s only one person’s I can control, my own.

If my pride is too great, how will they ever learn right from wrong? How will they learn to ask forgiveness, to admit their fault?

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

proverbs 11:2

So with each accident, mistake and burst of emotion, I try my hardest to bite my tongue, to apologize when I’m wrong and to ask my children for forgiveness. And sometimes it’s hard, so hard. And sometimes I completely fail and I don’t apologize because my pride wins. But I refuse to let one failure stop me from trying harder the next time to show them how to squash my pride and admit my wrongdoings, even in motherhood.

Losing my pride (along with my selfishness and laziness) are the main ways I’ve seen God work in me through motherhood. You think you have these babies to watch them grow, but sometimes it’s yourself you see the most change in.

I can only hope by modeling and trying my hardest to change, that I’ll make enough difference in their lives for them to do the same.

xo

Amy

Devotional Series: #nomoreperfectmoms by YouVersion, click here.