Beware
of Pride
“The
natural man is inclined to love himself and fix others.
God
has asked us to do the opposite.
We
are to fix ourselves by
repenting, and to love others”
(Goddard, 2009).
News flash…
Because the source of my irritations
with my husband most likely won’t just go away,
I get to learn to deal with annoyances
in a Christlike manner
and forego my pride to not escalate negativity.
“Appreciating
is more powerful than correcting”
(Goddard, 2009).
It is my choice to demonstrate charity,
the pure love of Christ, for my husband.
I have decided turn toward the House of
the Lord and the covenants we have made.
Rather than remain frustrated, I desire
to feel compassion for my husband in my heart.
“The
antidote for pride is humility”
(Benson, 1989).
Upon occasion, I have had to eat some
humble pie!
The Subtle
Nature of Pride
The adversary sneakily introduces pride
into our hearts and mind.
It is easy to see the small areas where
our spouse has weaknesses,
but we tend to gloss over our own or
hold a double standard.
I am trying to submit myself in complete
humility to the Lord and His wisdom.
Submission of my will requires enormous
amounts of faith and trust in my Savior
and letting go of my fears, anxieties,
and my attempt to control life.
I want Him to make of me what He desires
to make of me as
a woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother,
and a grandmother.
Learning to discern promptings from the
Holy Ghost
and following through with my
impressions
has been a tremendous aspect of my
soul’s excavation.
I am learning to rely on the Savior
every day and I am loving this incredible experience!
Another tender aspect in my personal
transformation has been mutual appreciation in our marriage through our talks,
councils, and activities to enhance our friendship.
My husband is developing greater love,
respect, appreciation, and honor for me.
While I am polishing these same Christlike
perspectives for him.
My gratitude continues to grow for my
husband!
Humility
- Forgiving those who have offended us. (Nephi 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10)
- Rendering selfless service. (Mosiah 2:16-17)
- Getting to the temple more frequently.
- Confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. (D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25-26; Alma 5:7-14,49)
- Loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives. (3 Nephi 11:11; 3 Nephi 13:33; Moroni 10:32)
Although it may
not be possible to live these Christlike virtues
every single day
of my life,
I can take
nightly inventory of how my day went,
repent,
and set goals to
do better the next day.
With the help of
the Savior’s Atonement, we can do all things!
“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we
are kind to each other,
when we don’t judge or categorize someone else,
when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet…
when we don’t judge or categorize someone else,
when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet…
None of us need one more person bashing or pointing out
where we have failed or fallen short. Most of us are already well aware of the
areas in which we are weak. What each of us does need is family…who support us,
who have the patience to teach us, who believe in us, and who believe we’re
trying to do the best we can, in spite of our weaknesses…
The adversary…loves to see us criticize each other…
The Savior wants us to develop the “virtues of love,
compassion, forgiveness, and long-suffering…qualities that enable us to deal
with our fellowman more compassionately…
The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing
spiritually and coming unto Christ is the way we treat other people…
Be one who nurtures and who builds.
Be one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart,
who looks for the best in people…
If the adversary can influence us to…find fault, bash, and
undermine,
to judge or humiliate or taunt,
to judge or humiliate or taunt,
half his battle is won.
Why?
Because…it…neutralizes us spiritually”
(Ashton, 1992).
I must Always look for the good in my husband
and strive to
always recognize his divine potential.
I must treat him
as the God in embryo that he is.
We cannot afford
to be neutralized spiritually!
Ashton, M. J. “The tongue can be a sharp sword”,
General Conference, April 1992.
Benson, E.T. “Beware of pride,” Ensign,
May 1989, 4-7.
Goddard, H. Wallace, (2009). Drawing heaven
into your marriage. Cedar Hills, UT, Joymap Publishing.
Gottman, J. M. (1999). The seven principles
for making marriage work. New York, NY: Random House.
No comments:
Post a Comment