I once read: "I thought I was wrong once but I was mistaken." What is so wrong about being right? Watching Jeopardy we see the countenance on people's faces fall as they are told the answer they gave is wrong. Perhaps you, like me, have childhood memories where you were called on in class to answer a question and were wrong. The snickers intimating how ignorant you were coming from others who would have answered wrongly as well. Maybe you made a business decision based on faulty information. Perhaps you have trusted someone who has been right but suddenly made a wrong decision. Every one of us make wrong decisions daily. Whether it's misjudging the distance between our vehicles on the crowded freeway or missing the timing of the elevator door and being left waiting for another. Maybe you, again like me, mixed up baking soda and baking powder. Needless to say there are lots of times I've been wrong. What is missing are the times where I was right. Maybe you feel the same way?
Sometimes being right is unpopular. I remember after preaching a sermon one Sunday which left one parishioner saying that she didn't like the sermon because: "He preached to us like we are sinners." Well...we are. The issue of being right wasn't part of the sermon. Right living was the issue and since God authored that in his Word I'll not apologize. We talk about she/he is the right one for me...and then find ourselves out of the relationship. Perhaps ending the relationship wasn't even our choice. Were we wrong or were we right? Standing up for what is right is not popular today in pretty much every area of life. We're not supposed to do this while we are supposed to do this all the time being asked to deny our faith in all that we do, think, or say. Don't say "Merry Christmas" because your might offend someone. The Bible states that God and the truth are offensive to "those who are perishing." We are not to make people feel comfortable in their sin. Being right is important and isn't wrong.
We've taken "right" and made it "wrong" in order to coddle mankind in their sin and lack of belief. As Christians we (myself included) have compromised the message of the Word to such a degree that many churches no longer mention sin or salvation. Fearful of falling giving pastors don't preach what may be considered offensive. Instead of obeying the moral compass the Holy Spirit has give us, we obey the few who are offended by the Word. Even though being "inclusive" and "tolerant" are being heralded as the new gospel the Bible still condemns both acts. We are not to be tolerant or inclusive when it comes to disobeying God. Jesus certainly wasn't tolerant when he went on the temple cleansing action. He certainly didn't sit back and allow the watering down of the message and placate the religious authorities (who were wrong).
It's okay to be wrong if you truly are wrong. Admitting our wrong attitude, action or words is important to our growth in Christ. The more I read the Bible the more I realize that I've only scratched the surface of it's richness and wisdom. More than once I have had to readjust my thinking as a new truth manifested itself. Even though we may be right when we learn a deeper truth; the choice to stand for what is right lies before us. Others may not see the truth or even want to hear the truth We need to be right anyway. Jesus didn't say we would be popular. In fact he said we would be persecuted for what we believe. In our world today we need to ask ourselves if we are being persecuted for being right. Does what I think, say and do as a Christian bring about situations where others are uncomfortable with the truth? There is NOTHING wrong with being right. There is EVERYTHING wrong with not standing up for what is right.
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
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