As children, we're taught to be proud of our work. Get good grades and show your report card to your parents and they will be proud of you. As parents, we are proud of our young children when they use the bathroom on their own, feed themselves with a spoon, pick up their toys and put them away, get good grades ... and the cycle continues.
The saying 'proud as a peacock' {A male peacock shows all his feathers to attract the female peacock ... hey, look at me!} generally referrs to someone who is vain, self-centered - one who boasts about him/herself. This is where we get in trouble with being proud. Feeling proud.
I have conflict with pride. I believe it is a positive and constructive thing to be proud of one's work. If you've completed a very difficult task or accomplished an amazing feat, small or big but important to you, this can be monumental and you certainly deserve the praise, the pat on the back. Well done! Be proud of yourself. Right?
To be proud of a child and praise him or her - however, there is a line when it gets overdone. If you constantly praise a child at every good mark, every good deed then they might forever look for recogition in ALL they do and be more prideful as a result.
Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.
Proverbs 16:18
We want to be praising parents. We want to tell our kiddos that we're super proud of them but my message in today's post is just to ease back. Be more humble with and for them. I think by doing this and creating a balance in our proud praise, we will raise healthy children into more humble adults.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:10
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