Not Right

Have I mentioned that my children are a lot like me? And that I learn-- or at least think about-- more lessons through things I am trying to teach them than through anything else? Probably because they are so much like me... at least sometimes. ;)

For example, Judah really likes to be right. In school he gets upset when he gets a wrong answer. And he gets mad at me if I won't tell him immediately whether an answer is right or wrong. He wants perfect scores on EVERYTHING! I had to talk to him recently about this type of situation. We were sitting at church in the middle of service, and he was pestering me to look over his answers to the sermon questions. Each time I told him to wait, he puffed up and sulked for several minutes. Right at the end of the service, it hit me that he was fixated on being "right". He wasn't so much concerned with listening to the sermon-- or in school, learning the lesson-- as thinking that he is "right". He is an awful lot like me! I have only begun to see that tendency in my life the last five years or so... not that it wasn't there before, I just didn't notice it or think it was a problem. =/

I started thinking about this earlier today as I was reading in the last chapter of Dug Down Deep, by Joshua Harris. (Another good read that I highly recommend. =)) The chapter is titled "Humble Orthodoxy". In it, he is encouraging readers to be concerned with right doctrine, but to approach it in humility, always aware that we can be wrong on many points. The following quote may be my favorite part of the book-- probably because it addresses an area of weakness (manifested by pride) in my life.

"It's not enough to get our doctrine straight. Life and doctrine can't be separated. Our lives either put the beauty of God's truth on display, or they obscure it.
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It helps me to remember that one day in heaven there will be only one right person.

I'm sorry, but it won't be you. Or me.

It will be God.

Everybody else in heaven will be wrong in a million different ways about a million different things. The Bible tells us that only those who trusted in Jesus Christ, who turned from sin and believed in him, will be in God's presence. But on a host of secondary matters, we'll all discover how much we got wrong." --Joshua Harris

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
Psalms 34:2-3
 
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
Jeremiah 9:23-24
 
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-- to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16:25-27