for mikey
Intentional Manhood, Part I: Pride Killing
Mike Seaver
January 29, 2009
by a good friend of CBMW, Mike Seaver. A new installment of this series
will appear each Thursday for several weeks. They originally appeared
last year on Mike’s blog Role Calling. Mike serves on the pastoral staff of CrossWay Community Church of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mike and his wife Kristin have been married since 2000 and have two daughters.
Many
marriage counseling sessions end up with the counselor/pastor talking
to the man about passivity and his consistent lack of leadership in the
marriage. This is not always the case, but many times it is. For the
next several weeks, I am going to be doing some posts called
“Intentional Manhood.” These posts are intended to help sharpen and
encourage guys to gain a biblical view of manhood and learn to apply
what we often know in our heads, but lack in our daily lives.
Purposeful Pride Killing:
Have
you ever been in a situation when you were getting credit for something
you did not do? Did you say anything about it? Did you bring correction
and clarity to make sure that the appropriate people received the
credit? Do you have “purposeful pride-killing” as a category in your
mind?
There
are many moments throughout this week and month that you will be given
the opportunity to kill pride in your life. You will sin against your
children or spouse and you will need to humble yourself and ask
forgiveness. You will mess up at work and need to take the blame for
your failure or oversight. You will lust and need to humbly confess
your sin to your accountability partner.
Life is full of purposeful pride killing moments.
A
few weeks ago, I sent an e-mail to someone and realized that in the
e-mail Iwas trying to impress the individual with my “knowledge and
expertise.” This was pride and as soon as I hit “send” I was convicted.
(I know…I should have been convicted sooner, but I am a little slow).
As I sat at my computer and continued to work, I wrestled with excusing
my pride and seeking to suppress the conviction. Finally, after about
an hour, I wrote another e-mail to the person and confessed my desire
to impress them and asked them to forgive me. They forgave me and I was
thankful for the mercy and grace of God to grant me forgiveness.
Biblical
manhood (and actually womanhood too) is full of opportunities where we
can humble ourselves and receive the grace of God shown to us through
the cross of Christ. When we confess our sin, He is faithful and just
to forgive us of our sin (1 John 1:9) and we are given grace in our humility (James 4:8).
So, what are we waiting for? Where is there an area of “purposeful pride-killing” that needs to take place in your life?
