Anyone who has fretted over the urge to correct others via Internet forums and blog comments (or anyone married to such a person) will appreciate this cartoon:
Reminds me of a conversation I had one time with my son Ethan (who was probably 7 at the time). I was trying to get him to stop incessantly correcting his little sister Raina (4 at the time) whenever she pronounced something wrong or said something inaccurate.
"Ethan, you have to stop correcting her all the time," I told him.
Genuinely distraught and confused, he answered, "But then how will she know when she’s wrong?!?"
How, indeed? In all honestly Ethan probably gets it from me. I’ve had to work hard on not being a jerk to people, being patient with others (and ultimately myself), waiting on God to bring good fruit in my life and in the lives of those around me.
At the end of my life I’m hoping I can be as relaxed as Martin Luther (another famous "corrector"), who said something like this: "I sit here and drink my Wittenburg beer and the kingdom of God runs on of its own accord." I can be patient because I know God is at work, and he doesn’t really need me to make sure everybody gets corrected on the Internet, or in my church community, or my family. Thank goodness!
I am right there with you brother. I was sitting in a men’s group last night thinking the same exact thought. I wished I’d had that Wittenburg beer though.
You are totally right.
I have 3 kids (7, 12 & 15) and I do that most with my first-born, probalby because he’s so different than me.
Sigh.
And I’d love to join you with one of those Wittenburg beers.
I’ll just have my Wittenburg at room temp and I’ll keep quiet for now.
I’ll just have my Wittenburg at room temp and I’ll keep quiet for now.