It never ceases to amaze me how there is never a point when you stop learning vital lessons, not only to make you a better and wiser person, but specifically a better Christian. In our teens, adulthood seems so far away. For me, my twenties seemed like the time - waaaay off in the distance - when I would finally be [play drumroll here] the ultimate adult. Sounds ridiculous, I know, and now I'm often painfully reminded that the lessons will not cease.

This week's lesson for me was humility - and not just spiritual.

I have a sister very close to me in age and this week, like siblings have been experiencing for all time, we got into a major argument. Both of us saying and doing things we shouldn't. In the moment, I felt so justified (although, if you are trying to be a reflection of Christ, the worst way you can ever feel in a disagreement is justified) and I made my stance on the whole matter all too clear. We both lost our cool, but by the end of the evening we were joking and talking again, so I figured all was well. But the next morning, I realized she was still very disturbed about the whole matter when I overheard her talking to someone about it on the phone (and no, I didn't eavesdrop!).

Even then, anger started boiling up in me, and that foe to humility -"But I KNOW I'm RIGHT" - raised up. And although I was in that "just TOUCH ah button" mode (that's Jamaican; I guess the American equivalent would be "put your dukes up"), I'm so glad that I didn't run with that feeling. I sat down, worked out my feelings in writing (that works for me) and said a prayer. It was after that that I was able to sit down with her and have a healthy, reasonable conversation about how we both felt.

Needless to say (bear with me; my point is on the horizon), during this conversation, God really allowed me to see myself. His conviction settled heavily on me. Despite who was "right" and who was "wrong," I must be able to humble myself enough to apologize readily - whether or not that person also decides to apologize for the part they played. Now I'm not implying that we must make ourselves doormats or anything like that. But if we are interested in successful and Christ-honoring relationships, we must not think we are too "right" to speedily offer an apology and give account for our words and actions.

Our honoring God in our lifestyle is not tied to the actions of others. Imagine if it was? Allowing Christ to be truly represented means that we must daily (heck, hourly), die to the flesh. Bringing everything - every action and the thoughts and feelings they are conceived in - under submission of the authority and standard of Christ our Savior.

What relationships do you have (or did you have, but have now fallen into disrepair) that require a bit of humility?

Shari Grant is a Registered Nurse in South Florida, where she was raised in a (very!) Jamaican home. Some of the loves of her life are words (both reading and writing them) and missions work. She enjoys spending time with friends and family while living for a good laugh - one that makes her belly ache and her eyes water. Her bottom line goal in life is to make the Lord smile and maybe even serve Him up a chuckle from time to time, too.