Being Right

 

For years I worked for a boss who was also a dear friend who also went to church with me.  We had a love-hate relationship.  Let me explain.  Kip got up early and was at Home Depot when they opened at 6 am.  He had the material at the job site ready for me to begin cutting and fitting.  Often he would have to stop at the cabinet shop, the hardware, the locksmith, … you name it.  And often he would call me at 8 am saying, “I’ve got to make three more stops, so let’s start at 10.”  I would say, “No problem. I’ll be at the office. Text me when you are on the way to the job.”  The office was code for Chick fil-A.  Kip paid me well - more than I was worth.  But I tried to make money for him.  Kip worked fast.  He saw the big picture and wanted to get things done.  I, on the other hand, was a details person.  Often, we clashed.  Kip would rather cut a board twice than stop to think about what he was doing before he cut the board the first time.  When something went wrong on the job site, Kip wanted to just “get ‘er done,” but I wanted to “stop and think about it.”  When I was right, I would remind Kip that I was right.  And then I would remind him again that I was right.  But I knew to shut up when Kip said, “Now, Brother Gerald …”  Hey, are you ever like me?  Do you remind folk when they are wrong and you are right?  But are you ever like Kip?  Do you feel that some people never let up?  That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them …”  This is often called The Golden Rule.  Hey, can I say something really important to you?  Here it is: you want to be right.  But have you ever realized that other people want to be right too?  Give others a chance to be right, just like you are always right.  Right?  Ha, ha!