Avoid Being Right

Samuel said to king Saul..."Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, the LORD in turn has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

In this passage, King Saul is described as using his own thinking about what was right in a situation over what God had asked of him. Saul puts his opinion before what God had asked him to do. As a result, the Lord rejected him as king. What Saul lacks was humility. He considers his vision of what is right more compelling than God’s. “Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you are blamed, you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint you will not put yourself on a pedestal.” (St. Mother Teresa) The following story demonstrates the important of humility in relationships, with God and with others.

 While grading student essays for a college class that he taught, diversity expert Steve Robbins came across a paper in which the writer had used the word "pompon" to describe a corsage. It was a small matter, but Robbins felt sure the correct spelling was "pom-pom," which was the way he'd always heard it. When the student writer came by to discuss her essay, she mentioned his criticism and said she'd believed that her spelling was an accepted alternative.

 Robbins would have none of it, and they had a heated argument. When the student requested that he take a look at her dictionary, he did so grudgingly, glancing at the page and saying that the dictionary agreed with him. However, the student pointed to the lines of text following the main definition, which did indeed say that her spelling was acceptable.

 Robbins realized that he had been so sure of being right that he hadn't even seen the evidence to the contrary. In fact, perhaps he never had, because when he checked his own dictionary, the alternative spelling was there, too. He could have prevented an argument—and perhaps salvaged a relationship with a student—if his eyes hadn't been blinded by his knowledge. (Adapted from What If? STEVE L. ROBBINS)

Are you afraid of…

                         being humiliated,

                         being ridiculed,

                         being wronged?

Lord help me to accept my imperfection and walk humbly with YOU. YOU are in control of everything that happens.

Peace in Christ,

Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen