I Like to be Right. Who doesn’t? Right?

But I’d also like to think I’m able to admit when I’m wrong. It’s simple to admit the little mistakes, apologize and ask forgiveness.

Maybe I accidentally left my phone at home and had to turn around and go back home to get it – making me late for my volunteer job at the family center. I can admit being wrong then.

But what about the times when I’m really, really right? The beyond the shadow of a doubt kind of right. The “How in the world can you not see my point?” kind of right. The kind of right where we want to go and rally everyone we know and get them to confirm just how right we are, so our rightness is validated. What about those times?

When I’m absolutely, positively sure I’m right, it’s my job to dig in my heels and stand my ground. Right? You know – the situation where we know that we know we are right. But then, I recoil to pour my heart out in prayer, I sit silently and listen for that still small voice.

Lo and behold the words of James 4:10, come to mind. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Oh, that “humble” word gets me every time. I can’t begin to tell you how many times that word causes me to be like my children’s dog who makes a mess in the house. His head goes down. He hunches down. And, his eyes don’t make contact with their eyes. Yep! That would be me, too!

So much time has been spent digging in my heels that I am anything but humble. I let the words sink in, “Humble yourself.” Then I read them in context. It comforts me to understand how James writes from a place of everyday life with Jesus and with people dealing with every day “issues”.

It’s a daily workout to be humble. I was reminded of my lack of humility as I pulled together my year-end tax paperwork. I ran across the file that held the recommendations my boss and colleagues gave me when leaving the University of Manitoba. I was PROUD to show my husband the glowing words of my work there. Then, I think to myself, “Time for a dose of humility!”

Obviously, I’m still wrapping my mind around the application of humbling myself before God. He’s still working on me. He loves me too much to let me be anything but becoming more like Jesus.

So, today I pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, help me to help me lay down everything at Your feet that doesn’t reflect your character. Please help me shine the light on You instead of on me. Make me more like you, Jesus. Amen.

Philippians 2:3-5, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”