Adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2022 Devotional Collection
Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise. . . . People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed.
Proverbs 13:10, 13 NLT
“I was wrong.” There are few phrases in the English language more difficult to say.
Why? Because admitting we don’t know everything requires humility. It’s acknowledging a personal failure. It’s listening to advice when our pride is already stinging.
Pride is an ingredient in every conflict. It can stir up indignant feelings and lash out. Pride is a know-it-all just waiting for someone to dare suggest there might be a better way. Pride is impatient and often rude. Pride preserves self above anything else.
Humility, on the other hand, is a calming salve in arguments and can help heal a relationship. Displaying a humble attitude takes work, but with it comes peace and a reassurance that we don’t have to know it all or be right all the time. Humility helps us see others as Jesus sees them.
Be open to the advice of people you respect and admire. Ask for help when you need it, and be receptive to tough love, even if you don’t ask for it. When we open ourselves up to wise advice from others, we’re open to God’s instructions. True wisdom is hearing God’s guidance through His Word and following it.
Create in me a humble heart, O God. I welcome the loving instruction in Your Word and am open to hearing Your wisdom from others.