The Danger of Pride in Commitment to Choices: How the Gospel Changed My Parenting Style

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. That means, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Read my full disclosure here.

When I started blogging, I wondered whether my “hobby” would be sustainable.

 

Looking back, I see how God changed me.  I wrestled with sins from several years ago.  I processed my new life as a mother. God graciously revealed more of His character as I studied the Word.

 

These are just a few of the fruits of my commitment, but, I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been easy.

 

Commitment is hard.  Commitment to marriage, gospel-centered mothering, friendships, and other responsibilities requires consistent work.

 

As followers of Christ, we are to be faithful to our promises as He is faithful to His.

 

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.  Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” – Numbers 23:19

 

Unlike God, we should have occasions where we change our minds because we are frequently wrong.

 

Commitment to the Wrong Choice

 

Just hours after celebrating my commitment to this blog, I found myself feeling like a failure as a mother.  I knew that some of my choices in correcting my son’s behavior that day were wrong.

 

I don’t believe my choices in themselves were sinful, just that they were not the best for my son at that moment.  What was sinful, was my unwillingness to change my choice. I knew in my heart that I needed to try a different approach to help my son improve his behavior, yet I refused to do so.

 

Pride fueled my resistance to change – I refused to admit that I made the wrong choice.

 

Do you ever find yourself committed to bad choices, unwilling to change your ways?

 

Disclaimer – I am not talking about choices such as marriage which are promises or covenants.  I am referring to choices such as parenting style, should we homeschool or enroll our kids in public school, should I breastfeed or bottle feed, etc.

 

Some of these may seem like big choices that you should never waver in your commitment to, yet, we are not called to a commitment to our personal choices, but to holiness and God’s glory.

 

Commitment to God means that yes, we are steadfast in our faithfulness to promises we have made.  It also means humbling yourself, being willing to be changed by God.

 

“Good and upright is the Lord: therefore he instructs sinners in the way.  He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble in his way.” – Psalm 25:8-9

 

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

 

As you grow in holiness, your choices should change.  Through the Holy Spirit’s work in your life, you should be becoming more loving, merciful, just, and obedient to God’s commandments.

 

Even at a practical level, the physical and emotional needs of your family may change, requiring you to be flexible in what you were sure your family’s routines would look like.

 

Commitment Due to Fear

 

Pride, not wanting to be wrong, may not be the only cause of your inability to change.  You may find yourself stuck in fear, unsure what is the best option for your family.

 

Mama, may you trust Him today.  Trust that He is sovereign and able to save your children regardless of what you do or don’t do.  This does not mean that you sit around and make no choices, but, as you are pursuing Him and a life of obedience to His words, trust that He will guide you.  Trust that He will use even the “wrong” choices for His glory.

 

What Do You Think?

Do you find yourself unwilling to change your mind or are you typically struggling to make a choice in the first place?

 

Do you ever find yourself committed to bad choices, unwilling to change your ways? We are not called to commitment to personal choices, but to holiness and God’s glory. Commitment to God means that yes, we are steadfast in our faithfulness to promises, but it also means humbling yourself, willing to be changed by God. #parenting #motherhood #raptmotherhood #gospel

3 thoughts on “The Danger of Pride in Commitment to Choices: How the Gospel Changed My Parenting Style”

  1. Oh I agree, Allyson! I was the same way but more so with my hubby on issues that we disagreed about. I just hated admitting I was wrong! So it created an awful lot of messes in my marriage. Pride is an ugly and destructive sin to be sure! I’m pinning this one, my friend! Great post!

  2. I appreciate the honesty – “I don’t believe my choices in themselves were sinful, just that they were not the best for my son at that moment. What was sinful, was my unwillingness to change my choice. I knew in my heart that I needed to try a different approach to help my son improve his behavior, yet I refused to do so”
    How often do we cling to decisions we make – even once we know that they don’t make any sense! It’s better to say “Hey, I was wrong and after taking some time to think about it, I want to do it another way”
    I think you hit the nail on the head – it’s all the subtle trap of pride

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: