Sometimes those of us who are working hard to win with money get so excited about what God is doing in our life we are genuinely overflowing with joy. But sometimes we notice those around us are not so enthusiastic about our success as we’d hoped they’d be. It could be that they’re jealous, but it could also be that our genuine excitement is overflowing in a way that is perceived as less than Godly.
Consider the following statements that someone winning with money could say and notice the difference between the first one and the second one in each pair of statements:
I’m blessed.
I’ve never had more money in the bank.
Debt freedom is worth every sacrifice.
I own this and that and I’m looking to buy that over there.
God has given me the resources to bless others.
My business is growing so fast I’ve hired employees to handle everything.
Do you see how the second statement in each pair could easily be taken as prideful or arrogant, especially in certain settings or situations? Notice the prideful statements are all longer than the more modest alternatives. That could be a sign to those who just need to shut up and say less. Sometimes less is more.
I know many families that have had amazing financial success in their life. They have truly been blessed and there is a lot to learn from all of the hard work and sacrifice that seems to be common among them all. But one of those families stands out like a sore thumb among the rest because of how they’ve handled the success. I have to believe deep down inside they remember their humble beginning and I have to believe their hearts are right. But I can’t help but wonder what they’re thinking when they host parties or events at their beautiful home and the highlight of their hospitality is the tour they give to spotlight all the awesome features of the house.
Why do they do that? Are they just that naive about how weird that is? Maybe they’ve allowed pride to creep in and they want to show off so much that as soon as someone arrives a new tour begins. It just seems the attitude about their success is so different than others with similar success. None of my other wealthy friends or acquaintances have ever done house tours, unless asked of course. It certainly wasn’t the main event except for this one place – and it’s every time you go there.
I’ve challenged myself – am I envious of what they have? Not so much. I don’t really want anything they have. Anytime I notice someone else not so happy about my success I think of what I might have said or done that might have given them a poor perception, or I wonder if they’re envious. It’s easy for us to never challenge our own attitudes and actions by simply dismissing everyone else as jealous (this screams prideful). The old saying “perception is reality” is quite often literally true and we should keep ourselves in check.
This is something I sometimes feel self conscious about (not that I’ve arrived at some prestigious level of success or anything, but I’ve learned a lot about how to win with money and pray for continued blessings). I want my excitement for winning with money to encourage others, even challenge others sometimes, but I don’t want that excitement or inspiration to get lost in translation by being prideful – with words, attitudes, or actions.
Is this something you think about too? How do you keep pride in check?
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