“Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel.” Proverbs 20:3 NASB
It can be a truly painful thing to be right and not able to state it or convince others that you are. It takes incredible self-awareness to be more interested in peace than submitting to the desire to be right. How many arguments would die out, or more importantly, how many relationships would survive if proving you are right were not such an overwhelming human desire. I told my children when they were small to not worry about being right. The goal of their journey should instead be driven by the desire to do right. I recently watched as a good man was maligned by some people who were jealous of his influence and wanted to cover up their mistreatment of him. To do this they began to whisper and falsely accuse him of things behind his back. He found himself maligned without justification, and even more frustrating, he was unable to correct the perceptions without looking guilty through efforts to defend himself. To his credit, he recognized the futility of his situation, chose the high road, and began the somewhat lonely journey to move forward doing the next right thing. God has honored his heart and has begun to restore relationships as the truth of his character is being revealed. No one was more innocent yet persecuted than Jesus. He walked faithfully in His Father’s will and as a result has changed the planet for eternity. Today, trust your reputation to your Father and do the next right thing. #BeTheEdge