I’m So Embarrassed!

Share an embarrassing moment with your kids. (It’s good for them to see that you make mistakes and feel awkward and embarrassed by what you’ve said or done! It humbles you and that is a good thing.) Let the kids share a time when they were embarrassed.

Ask:

• How did you feel when you made a mistake?
• Why is it okay to make mistakes and what should you do?

Romans 12:3b says that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Every one does dumb things; every one says things they shouldn’t. It is a proud attitude that says, “I’m never wrong” (an attitude that God resists). Be willing to admit when you are wrong and laugh at yourself (not at others). I was in a hurry to make a phone call and when I got the answering machine; I quickly left a message ending with “In Jesus name, Amen.” I looked at my husband and he looked at me—I could tell he wanted to laugh. I felt so foolish, but when I laughed about it, my husband could laugh WITH me and it diffused the situation.

Prissy Pride

Items needed: balloon and marker
(If you don’t have a balloon, draw this “character” on a piece of paper.)

Blow up a balloon large enough so you can draw a face on the balloon. Announce that this is “Prissy Pride.” Make a statement about “Prissy” and blow her up a little more each time. (She is getting more prideful each time.) If you have older kids, ask them to help you add characteristics of pride to your description of Prissy Pride.

• Prissy Pride thinks about herself all the time. (blow up the balloon a little more)
• Prissy thinks she is better than others. (blow)
• Prissy makes fun of what others wear. (blow)
• Prissy won’t talk to certain people. (blow)
• Prissy brags about her good grades. (blow)
• Prissy always has to be first. (blow)
• Prissy pushes others around. (blow)
• Prissy says bad things about others to make herself look good. (blow)
• Prissy is very proud! (Keep holding the balloon)

Ask your kids to tell you the Bible story about the two men who went to the temple to pray. One was very proud and kept telling God all the good things that he had done and how glad he was that he was not like other sinners. The other man was humble and asked for God’s forgiveness and help. Read 1 Peter 5:5

(Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”)

Let go of “Prissy” and let her fly around the room.
After she has been retrieved, ask:

• Why do you think God resists the proud?
How do you feel toward proud people?
• How does a person with a humble attitude act?
• Which attitude do you have?

(If you have younger children, they may want to blow up Prissy again and repeat some of the statements about her. This is a good way to help them see what a proud attitude is so they can avoid it.)

The “I” Game

Pick an hour of time (it can be riding in car, playing a game, watching TV, eating dinner, etc.) and play the “I” game. Instruct the kids (adults play also) to see if they can go one hour without saying “I.” Each time they use the word “I’ or “me” they get one point. They can catch each other using the word if they like. Keep a tally and see who says “I” the most. (The one who says “I” or “me” the least number of times is the winner!)

Ask: Was it easy or hard not to talk about yourself? Why?

Read Philippians 2:1-8 aloud to find out what kind of attitude to have. Check your attitudes.

Pride or Humility?

Sometimes a good way to understand something is to look at its opposite. Pride is the opposite of humility or meekness. It’s easier to recognize pride than it is to see humility. Pride is thinking about myself all the time–my way, my rights, my needs, my, my, my!!!!

To see how much we talk about ourselves, count how many times each person says “I” during dinner.

It’s not wrong to talk about oneself, but it is wrong to have pride and think about yourself too much. Satan’s pride led to his fall from heaven. He said, “I want to be like the most High. I . . .  I . . . ”  (Isaiah 14:14). He was a beautiful angel until he decided he wanted more; he wanted to be like the one true God. He wanted the worship that belongs only to God.

Read the following statements and ask your kids to tell you if this person is having pride or humility:

I want to be first or I won’t play.
You can pick the TV show you want to watch.
You can go in front of me if you like.
I’m glad you won. You tried hard.
I’m the best!
She doesn’t dress very nice. Don’t play with her.
The team worked together and I’m happy we won.
I get the last piece of dessert!
I don’t have to listen to you. You don’t know anything.
I will help you with your homework, if you like.

Parental Temper Tantrum

Parents, throw a temper tantrum, yelling and arguing over something silly (TV remote?). (It’s mine; my mommy gave it to me. I’m never letting you watching MY TV again! Have fake crying and make exaggerated arguments like your children might.) Your kids will look on wide-eyed and shocked!

Ask:
What did you think about the way I  was acting?
Why do you think it was wrong?

Explain that you were just “play-acting,” but fighting to get your own way is NOT showing humility.

Read Philippians 2:1-11 to find out what a humble attitude looks like. (Thinking about others, not being selfish, having love, serving others as Jesus did, being obedient)

Proud as a Peacock

Have you ever heard the phrase “proud as a peacock?”
Why do you think the peacock would be called proud?

Look up facts about the peacock on the Internet for an answer.

Here are some interesting facts:

A peacock (peacock actually refers to the male bird, while females are peahens, and the young are peachicks) is a large, colorful bird known for its beautiful, bright blue and green, iridescent tail.

An adult peacock's train of feathers, or coverts, can be sixty inches long with a wingspan of up to six feet. Peacocks have a crest or crown on the top of their heads that gives them a royal appearance.

Some think  the peacock fans out his feathers/train to get the peahens to notice him. The male then does a courtship dance.

According to the Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997), the male peacock's beauty and the way he fans out his train led to its name becoming a synonym for a proud person.

Pride is the opposite of meekness or humility.

What does pride look like in people? (Wanting to be first, wanting to be noticed, wanting its way, thinking you are better than others, etc.)
What does humility look like in people? (Working together, caring about others, serving others, thinking about others more than