I Could Be Wrong
“”My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself
who will examine me and decide. “ 1 Corinthians 4:4
I hate to be wrong.
Remember Fonzie? On the rare occasion he was wrong he’d say. “I was wrrrr….” He just couldn’t say it. It’s time to go back to his office (the men’s room at Arnold’s diner) gaze at himself in the mirror, start to comb his hair, only to stop, raise his arms as if to say, “You can’t improve on this!”
“Heeyyy,” is much easier to say!
What is it about our ego that we find it so hard to say, “I was wrong”?
To our ego being wrong, well, just doesn’t look good. Admitting wrong equals failure and failure equals being less than and being less than equals loss of respect. So, even when you’re wrong don’t admit it.
The problem with this is that people see right through the façade. And our attempt to keep face with others actually causes the very thing we feared—a loss of respect.
A better approach to life is to listen to the Holy Spirit instead of ego. The Spirit leads us to see ourselves as we really are, fallen fallible people who’ve been redeemed by Christ. Being secure in this truth we are able to approach life and its many situations admitting, “I could be wrong.” Realizing fully that, “I could be wrong” makes it easier for me to admit, “I was wrong” when I fail.
The apostle Paul seemed to be saying just that in 1 Corinthians 4:4. “”My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. “
Admitting that we could be wrong allows us to walk through life with a better perspective, albeit, still imperfect. That perspective is one of humility as we realize our imperfections and our limitations as well as our propensity to want to be right even to the exclusion of reality.
This is different than some whose perspective of self is, “I am wrong.” This presupposes that no matter what, I will be wrong and that is very unhealthy.
As the verse says, only God is qualified to be the judge of right and wrong. The only time we can claim to be “right” is when we are in alignment with God and His word. And our very ability to interpret the scriptures correctly with the aid of the Spirit is when we approach it saying, “I could be wrong.” It has been my experience that God’s word opens up to me more fully when I come to it admitting I could be wrong. By admitting this possibility my mind and spirit is open to be taught by the Holy Spirit and shown truth.
It is life transforming when we say, “I could be wrong” and truly mean it. This honest admission will lead to enriched personal relationships. The people who know you the best will respect you even more. They will appreciate the humble self appraisal. And you will also find a new ability to connect with them on a deeper level because the façade has been removed.
Can you say it? Go ahead. Practice.
“I could be wrong.”
There now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?
Pastor Dan Barker