The Need To Be Right

Over the past week, I've been reading a Facebook friend's post that generally stirs up a lot of debate and sometimes a good scuffle or two. Good thing there's cyberspace separating some people, or I swear fur would fly.

Most disagreements are over the need to be right.

Generally, though, I think people really want to be heard. We have a thought. A belief. Right or wrong, it's ours and we love them.

Why can't we just hear each other? Why does it need to turn into a "you are wrong and I'm right and I'll not back down until you see things my way."

What's up with that? Even I find myself falling into this same exact mind pattern. Is it really that we think we can save others from their fallacy? From their errant beliefs? Does God give out "My Name is: Fact" badges?

I bet He doesn't.

However, I bet the enemy has a storage shed full of them and they are made by the company "Pride is Us."

Maybe, perhaps, it's something even more deeper than pride. The other day I was reading something a friend posted awhile back and he attributed this need to be right to fear. I paused a moment, letting that sink in.

Fear.

He might be on to something.

Being that lone tree in the middle of a grassy plain is hard.

The winds buffet its branches, water is generally in short supply. And they tend to stick out like a wart on the end of a nose.

I had a dilemma last week, and I knew how most of my friends would respond. Yet, I felt like I was right on this matter. In talking to a friend about it, I said, "I can do anything, no matter how hard, so long as I know at least one person agrees with me."

Though that's how I really felt on the matter, it was a most ridiculous notion. Seriously. Because thing is, if I've prayed it though, am following my convictions then it's not necessary to caveman drag other people by the hair roots to my way of thinking.

I'm not here to save the world. Jesus is.

I have no control over life. God does.

I can't convict. The Holy Spirit does that.

I simply need to do the best I can, speak what I believe is right. Unfortunately, sometimes what you think if perfect logic turn out not to be.

It happens.

Trust God to take care of this crazy divers world He's created. He's got this. He does.

We are merely called to sow where seeds need to be sowed and harvest the fields that need harvesters.

That's it.

This rest is just chaff in the wind.

Yet, when I surveyed all that my hands had done, and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after he wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Ecc. 2:11