Arrogance
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
I truly believe that people don’t wake up one day and say, “I’m going to be arrogant!” as if it’s a wonderful plan like having a picnic or going for a spring-time walk. Who would choose to be arrogant? I believe that it creeps up on people and they become arrogant without knowing it. I’ve done it myself. I’ve said or done something and not realized until later (because either a good friend or God himself) pointed it out to me. It’s important to understand the sleekiness of arrogance. We don’t just graduate and move on once we learn to use our spiritual peripheral vision in regard to arrogance because it’s sneaky.
Consider “arrogance” to be like a chameleon (a tropical tree lizard with a long tongue, prehensile limbs and tail, and the POWER TO CHANGE IT’S COLOR). For example, if you already know not to be arrogant about your good looks, your smart-ness, your talents, you may not know that you can become spiritually arrogant in regard to your awesome knowledge of the Bible, God, prayer, praise, etc……, and in the physical and/or the spiritual world, arrogance can change its color and adapt itself to any issue and it can blend into the scenery so that you don’t realize that you are becoming arrogant in a “certain” area.
The point of chapter 8 of The Warrior Mom Handbook is to become aware of this issue of arrogance and to stay alert to its sneaky existence. I hope that as you read and study the scriptures in Chapter 8, that you create your own paragraph and prayer against arrogance and recite it daily. I’ll add that many men have read The Warrior Mom and The Warrior Wife Handbooks because it’s full of God’s Word, and it helps them realize what women experience. More importantly, the books draw people to God’s Word – no matter who you are.
A soldier never goes into battle without his/her armor and equipment and nor should a Warrior walk through their day unprepared and unaware of the chameleons that are trying to disguise themselves by blending into the background of your flowered wallpaper - distorting the power of your faith, your walk, and/or your powerful influence for the Kingdom of Christ.
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (!)
1 Timothy 6:19
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 05 November 2019.
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