Stay Away From Pride

I enjoyed studying and learning more about an attribute that I do not believe anyone would want in their marriage, pride. Ezra Taft Benson said, “Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves…selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride.” I do think that anyone loves to admit their faults, however, we are all quick to judge others imperfections at times. I know there have been many occasions that I have been prideful in my own marriage and with God. A quality of being prideful is to not receive counsel or correction easily. An example of this that I have noticed throughout my college experience is in my art classes. I am usually very good at a variety of different art forms, so I decided to take an oil painting class. I have only painted a few times in my life, mostly in kindergarten and it was finger painting. Being in my oil painting class, everything was very foreign to me and I quickly noticed how much better everyone else was. It was hard to accept the critiques, corrections, and counsel from my teacher because I had become prideful. I did not want to accept defeat knowing I could not get better as a painter alone. I needed my teacher to get better just as we need our Savior to teach us and save us, we can not do it alone.

Going back to pride in our marriages, both partners need to be aware of this horrible trait that Satan wants us to have. In marriage, it is inevitable that that arguments are going to happen. However, it is up to us whether we make those talks learning experiences that benefit or diminish our marriages. Marleen S. Williams said, “Anytime we feel irritated with our spouses, that irritation is not an invitation to call our spouses to repentance but an invitation to call ourselves to repentance.” Honestly, when I read this quote I felt called out as if Williams was talking specifically to me. I feel I can be quick to irritation with my partner often and it is defiantly something I will continue to work on. Williams continues to say that irritation comes from a lack of faith and humility. I am constantly trying to become more humble in my marriage by serving my spouse in little ways whether I am doing the dishes, planning a date, or making his favorite desserts. Small acts do make a significant difference in a marriage. Every good thing we do will weigh out the bad and there will be less room for pride to intervene. John M. Gottman said, “Love is not a happy accident, it is a choice.” We need to choose everyday to love our spouses by not becoming prideful but humble. When we become more like Christ, we will be more blessed and happier in our marriage.