Giving up the right to be right

A very wise lady said to me yesterday, "Sometimes we have to give up the RIGHT to be RIGHT in order to salvage the relationship." In her case, she was talking about her marriage. But that statement was very profound to me. You see, I actually like being right, in my own mind I usually am right, and if I'm not, you'll be the last to know from me. haha. (I'm just being honest here.) Sometimes we can speak truth, and I'm certainly not saying we shouldn't; however, how a person receives that truth is really not our problem. In other words, we may not be the one that needs to convince them. There have been several instances lately, where the truth has been clear in my eyes, but the person I'm trying to speak it to was totally blind to it. (Now I am talking Biblical truth, not Natalie truth.) In 1 Cor. 13, we're told that if we speak without love we are a resounding gong or clanging symbol. Sometimes we get so bent out of shape on just being right, that we are a resounding gong or clanging symbol in the other person's head. Do you really think they are going to hear the truth when we are so caught up in being right? (And, yes I am preaching to myself here.) Eph. 4:15 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." There is a paradox of grace and truth. Jesus is 100% truth and 100% grace. He loved with a sacrificial love. Therefore, if we want to be like Him, shouldn't we speak with 100% truth, 100% grace, and 200% sacrificial love? That might just mean putting aside our need to be right. hmmmm. that's a tough one.