Do You Want to be Right or Do You Want to be Rich? Peace Trumps Perfection

Today....

How important is it to be right?  I don't mean morally or spiritually right.

When I was working in sales, I heard a motivational speaker put it this way:  "Do you want to be right or do you want to be rich?"

In other words, "Don't fight with your clients.  If they like the turquoise Bridesmaids dresses with the gigantic bow in the front, (even though you know they are hideous), don't tell them that all of their taste is in their mouth! Sell the dresses, get the commission, and everybody's happy!

Do you want to be right or do you want to be rich....not just financially rich, but rich in friends, rich in peace, rich in joy?

Is being right really worth the fight?

Some people, and (I hate to say it) especially Christians, can be the biggest fight-pickers in the world!

I guess this stems from believing that there is only one way that is right....when it comes to EVERYTHING...and the RIGHT WAY IS MY WAY!!!!

The logic might come from thought processes like these---

"My life is based on the B-I-B-L-E, so every decision I make is based on God's Word.  How can you argue with that?"

"I hear from God.  Since I hear from God, then what I think is always right."   

"I am committed to this project.  If you were as committed as I, then you would agree with me."   

 "I am empowered.  I will NOT be a doormat.  You will NOT walk all over me. I am strong.  I am smart.  I am capable.  Therefore, I am always right."

But....Really....Is ANYONE ALWAYS right?

And yet......Honestly.....EVERYONE ALWAYS THINKS THEY'RE RIGHT..... No one ever thinks they're wrong....try to follow my logic here...

If people thought they were wrong, then they wouldn't hold the position they hold. If they thought their position was wrong (if they had any brains), they would change it to the right position."

Did that make sense?

The Bible puts it this way:  "All a man's ways seem innocent to him."  (Proverbs 16:2)

I think I'm right.  You think you're right.  Is it worth a fight? Abraham Lincoln said, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

Some things are worth a fight....
I would fight to the death to protect my children or grandchildren.
I would fight tooth and nail to keep another woman away from my husband.
I would fight tyrannical leaders or systems that rob people of their freedom or treat people unjustly.

I would fight an alligator...well, I'd shoot it...if it crawled out of the pond in my neighborhood and went after my dog (which is a distinct possibility living in southern Louisiana). :-)

But really.....
Is it worth the fight in the office over whose fault that error was?  Why not just fix the problem and move forward ?  Yea,  co-workers may throw you under the bus and make it look like it was all your fault and you know very well it wasn't, but what goes around comes around....FOR REAL!  I've lived long enough to see it work....THE TRUTH EVENTUALLY COMES FORWARD....

Is it worth the fight at home over who was supposed to pay the water bill?  You could just pay the bill....or you could berate your spouse, who YOU KNOW was the one who was supposed to pay that bill...yea, go ahead and beat him/her up verbally....that will do a lot of good....NOT!

Is it worth the fight in the church over where you sit?   You know, at that church where the usher asks you to sit in a certain seat, and that is NOT where you like to be....Should you really let it loose on him?  THAT GUY IS A VOLUNTEER.  He's only following directions.

Is it worth the fight with the police officer who pulled you over........ you weren't speeding, your tags aren't expired, your brake lights work, your seatbelt was fastened.......HE HAD NO JUSTIFIED REASON TO PULL YOU OVER!!!
STILL...he is authorized to use force, you are not!  ARE YOU CRAZY???   IT'S NOT WORTH THE FIGHT!

I guess people could look at my style of dealing with conflict and say that I was "too soft," but my position has always been that PEACE TRUMPS PERFECTION.  I think my way is perfect, but peace is more important.  Of course I think that there is a perfect solution to the problem at work, but peace is more important.

One of my mottos in raising my kids was from 1 Peter 3:10-11---
Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.  He must turn from evil and do good:  he must seek peace and pursue it.

Yes, there is a time to fight. (Ecc. 3:8)   There are times to take up arms, but not in the office, in the home, or in the church, and certainly not when the police officer pulls you over....ARE YOU CRAZY???

Today I read Habakkuk 1:3-4 and I thought about our homes, our churches, and our nation.
There is strife, and conflict abounds.  Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.

The Word of God is paralyzed and justice is thwarted in our nation, in our churches, and in our homes when strife and conflict abounds. Strife and conflict.....everybody trying to prove that he/she is right...

I wish I could get this message to the President and his Cabinet...and the Congress....and the Judicial Branch...and the Media....but I'll start with me and my house, and hopefully you and your house:

YES, YOU MAY BE RIGHT....but do you want to be right or do you want to be rich?

I'll take rich....rich in blessing, rich in peace, rich in joy, rich in love.

How about you?

Let me hear from you!

I'll blog ya next week.  In the meantime, do something today to fulfill your purpose.....