Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to admit when you’re wrong? If it were only children that did this I might be inclined to think it was to avoid punishment. But I think there is something else. We don’t suddenly lower our defenses when we move away from mom and dad. In fact, I’ll bet wives can think of plenty of times when their husbands defended some hurtful words or actions. Just as assuredly, husbands can think of times your wives were wrong and wouldn’t admit it. It’s hard isn’t it? Somehow, our self-worth seems to be wrapped up in our rightness. We don’t want to admit we were wrong to our spouse because we don’t want to lower our spouse’s view of us. The irony is that your stubbornness is doing the very thing we fear – only worse!

Wouldn’t it be freeing if somehow our self-worth wasn’t tied to being right? Do you see how that might improve your relationships? You might actually get along better with your brothers and sisters. You might even have a better marriage.

While it might not seem like it on the surface, the book of Job points us to that very thing. It is a cry for vindication, a cry for the world to know that someone is right. As we finally come to the last chapter, we find that this very thing that we long for – to be set free from our fear of losing our “rightness” is possible. God does come down and brings vindication. Because God vindicates, we are free to enjoy relationships.