Pride Is A Temptress

I asked myself some hard questions adapted from

After reading ‘The Servant Leader,’ by Blanchard and Hodges, I asked myself some tough questions, “Do I think more about myself than I should, and who is my primary audience in life? Is it God, myself, or someone else?” I believe we are stewards; the talent and treasure we enjoy in life are only a blessing if used for His purpose. I know a few unhappy, highly successful people. These are a few secrets to success I have learned along the way, and I take stewardship seriously.

1) Don’t buy things for status, rather make your choice based on its usefulness. I enjoy lovely things, and buying lovely things for others, but my primary motivation is usefulness and enjoyment, not status.

2) If it’s addicting, I try to avoid it.

3) Practice giving things away.

4) Don’t buy the propaganda being peddled everywhere you look. Think for yourself and make your own decision.

5) Enjoy things without owning them. A national park visit, a spectacular sunset, the first snowfall, or a lovely orange on the tree that you are about to bite into.

6) Appreciate God’s creation and enjoy His relationship with you. Ask yourself why He enjoys you?

7) Ignore advertising, review what you see with abject skepticism, resist the shortsighted scheme of the “buy now, pay later” pitch.

8) Speak clearly, be honest and trust your own council. Always advocate for yourself. It is a rare thing to find anyone willing to go the distance on your behalf. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no. Anything beyond that is manipulative and comes from a self-serving attitude.

9) Any idea, practice or instruction, law-abiding or otherwise, that will oppress another human being, is not worth it. Be careful where you find inspiration, and ask a simple question of yourself, “Does the lust for wealth and pleasure mean poverty for others, and are you willing to make the tough choice of doing the right thing?”

10) Ignore the distractions, codified, legal, religious or any other advice that distract you from seeking first the Kingdom of God. I can assure you if the choice is prison or compromising your principles, then prison is the preferable decision. If you’re the leader in your home, or fancy yourself so, ask an important question, “Am I willing to confront my personal pride?” This is the one of the most serious ego trips a man can face, and it’s a clever foe too. It can be addictive if you’re not careful; made worse if you’re careless. Every day, my constant battle is with the temptation to react in a prideful way. I know what I’m supposed to do -seek first the Kingdom of God, but how?

11) Never think more of yourself than you should.

12) Be clear about your primary audience in life. Is it God, yourself, or someone else? God should be first in everything.

I guard my heart in these ways, and I take my role as the leader of my household seriously. I ask my wife these questions often:

13) Do I make God the object of my worship?

14) Do I rely on God for my security and is He sufficient in my life?

15) Do I make God the primary source of my self-worth?

16) Am I intimate with His unconditional love?

If I hear my wife answer yes to these qualifiers, then I’m comfortable in my role as the head of my household. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Beware: pride is an alluring temptress.