Healthy Confidence vs Unhealthy Pride
November 18th, 2010 | 
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We are born into this world thinking the whole world revolves around us and all the other people are just paying rent to live in our world. Many of us have parents that told us we were the best, the cutest, the smartest, and the greatest at anything we did. Why would we want to believe anything else! In fact, we, ourselves as parents, have told the exact same things to our beloved children. From the moment they become a part of our family until forever, we want our children to think the best of themselves. If taught correctly and in healthy exhortation, with the grace of God, our children will attain a healthy confidence.
I believe we, as parents, are to be their role models. If we live our lives before them not as cocky , selfish, pompous elitists , but as broken and humble servants looking for opportunities to help others; then, most likely, they will do the same as they grow into their confidence through the years. It must start in the home though. Afterall, God gave us these precious children to love, nourish, and disciple. Let’s encourage them to embrace who God created them to be.
Healthy confidence is a realization and an assurance that God loves us, that He has given us talents and gifts, that He wants us to use those gifts for Him, and that He has given us salvation and eternal life in heaven. This gives us complete certainty that our life can have meaning, now and forever.
Unhealthy pride results when arrogance and cockiness are substituted for healthy confidence. Thinking we can make it without God and failing to seek His help are the warning signs that confidence has turned into pride. Self-promotion will get us nowhere but into a deep, dark hole of depression with no friends to enjoy the success we made for ourselves. If we promote ourselves, then we are the ones responsible for the outcome. I can probably bet that that would not be a life we would want to live with all the stress and burden of having to live up to that. If we let God promote us, then He is the one responsible for the outcome. He’s got my vote! Just think how peaceful we all would be if we just let go and let God.
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I love living in a place of abandonment to God. Its whatever He desires and wants for me that is my goal… It becomes much easier to just allow Him to open all the doors for us and the we don’t have to worry about “doing” anything for him. We just follow His lead! “I will boast in the Lord..”
Having worked in a Christian school for 8 years, I can confirm your thoughts on how kids are raised in the home is ultimately how they will be. Parents are the primary examples for their kids (whether they realize it or not) and we set the tone for their life views. What a privilege to put God first in our lives for the sake of our children!
Have a blessed day, Pam! I know you’re a great mom!
Thank you for your blog post. It made a lot of sense on pride vs. confidence. Peace be with you! God bless you!