1. The Problem
Ashamedly, I have a prima donna attitude. I love getting my way, and I think I am usually right. In the thirty-six years of being married to my beloved James, God has revealed just how much I want my way and the lengths I will go to assure satisfaction for my fleshly ego. God has shown me that He, too, can go some lengths to lovingly conform me from being a self-centered prima donna to a God-centered child of God.
2. The Solution
God has used persistent bouts with serious health conditions over many years and intense family pressures to break me and reveal to me that life is about Him and His will, not about me and my will. Oh, I knew that in theory, but God expected transformation. Galatians 2:20 has become my life verse through what I call “my breaking and molding sessions” by God.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Our lives should reflect death to our self-centeredness and prima donna attitudes. We are to be God-confident, not self-confident.
“A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).
3. A Human Family Trait
Adam and Eve unfortunately displayed prima donna attitudes when they chose their way over God’s. As we all know, it did not turn out well. Look what happened regarding Eve:
- Eve lost what we would call her dream home on multiple river fronts and luscious gardens.
- She would experience painful childbirth and so would all females in generations to come.
- She would have a tug of war with Adam over rule in the home. Still happening in 2015!
- Increased clothing bills because she couldn’t be naked any longer. See why we shop?
- But worst of all, she and Adam died spiritually just like God had said:
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Eve’s offspring and all generations to come would be born spiritually dead in need of a Savior.
A Final Thought
Do you have a prima donna attitude? As a daughter of Eve, I suspect that you do. Expect God to use various situations and even other people to conform us. Don’t resist God’s interventions. He could be saving us from a long list of serious personal and generational heartaches similar to our mother Eve.
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Romans 8:29).
