Raising a "Aren't I Pretty??!?!?"

Pride is probably the root of most sin if not all sin. 

We think we're something. 

We think we're skilled.

We think we're funny.

We think we're pretty.

We think we're holy.

We think we're better then the next person.

Or we may think we're not that great and deserve to be pitted... which is still pride.

It took me a while to understand how thinking these things is prideful. 
Then I was trying to explain to my little, beautiful, smart, funny, decently-mannered daughter that while I am telling her sister how beautiful she looks,  when she buts in and says, 
"Aren't I Pretty Mom!?!?" thats, well... rude...

"Why is it rude mom?"

**Blank stare** 
"Well... um... it just is? Here, let me look it up in the Bible and I'll get back to you."

That night I searched the scriptures and found Proverbs 27:2 "Let another man praise you and not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips." The following day we had a Bible study and talked about this verse, how to apply it, as well as wrote it out and colored it. We memorized it and any time we noticed each other praising ourselves, we would loving remind each other, "Remember Proverbs 27:2!!"

Now, being a mom and seeking wisdom from the Lord (and I NEED to seek Him; I seem to have the gift of LACK of wisdom and discernment...). God gave me a beautifully grotesque picture of what praising ourselves looks like. You see, I am a worship leader and worship is very dear to my heart. One day I was having a conversation with someone and twisted my story in such a way that made me come out looking better then I really am (oh come on, we all do it!). Following this was praise from that person. The Lord then showed me that I was receiving worship... HIS worship!

"NO LORD!!! This is horrible! Me taking YOUR worship?!?! Oh my God! forgive me! Only You are worthy of worship!"

So I sat down with my my little, beautiful, smart, funny, decently-mannered daughters and explained to them that it's fine to try to look pretty for daddy or for their husbands they are going to have one day, it's fine to be great at certain things and to enhance your skills and knowledge, it's great to be well behaved, and all these things; BUT who made you beautiful? Who made you smart? Who made you gifted? Who taught you to be well-behaved? Was it not the Lord? Well, then, who should we make sure to praise and give the glory and worship to when people praise us? 

"GOD!"

God deserves the worship. Not us. 

So that is how I am currently dealing with the "Aren't I Pretty?!?" child...