One-Up

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who thought they knew more about a situation than you?  I'm not talking about 'gossip' but just about topics?  Or how about asking someone a general question expecting a one-line answer and find yourself trapped in place for a five-minute dialogue that sounded more like a resume?

Both happened to me today.

But do you know what's even worse than those two situations?  Giving place to the devil by trying to One-Up the One-Upper!

Obviously, my patience had run out after my first conversation, because I took it upon myself to 'politely' correct the One-Upper by One-Upping them.  Sigh.

Oh, it felt kind of good at the time, but as soon as I turned around and walked away, the Lord smote my heart and chastised my behavior.  I could almost hear my Saviour's still-small voice saying, "Feel better now?  Yes, you put them in their place, but before I can deal with them, I must deal with you now."  

I had to confess to doing the very thing that irritated me the most.

Romans 11:20b "...Be not high-minded but fear:"

1 Peter 5:5b-6 "...for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"

Ok, Lord...lesson learned.

The next time I find myself in a conversation with a 'One-Upper...'

    I will purpose in my heart to lay down my pride...

        But that's just me!

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.  To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it.  There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."  Charles Spurgeon