Wisdom is justified by her deeds, part 2

I need to pick up were I left off yesterday. Wisdom is justified by her deeds, no doubt. I'd like to add to this that so is lack of wisdom. Rather, a lack of wisdom becomes pretty clear from the type of fruit she bears.

Yesterday, I blundered in a somewhat public manner. I was accused of "always doing something." I got pretty mad and then retaliated with a mirror claim, something along the lines of, "I don't always do that. You guys always ___." See the picture there? I did the same thing to this particular student as she was doing to me. I made a universal generalization.

But here's what I really did: I justified my lack of wisdom. In many ways that girl was right in what she said about me. I do make that same mistake often. Always? No. But often. What she and her peers do--what they are guilty of--doesn't really prove or disprove, justify or blame what I do. But I tried to disprove her, I tried to justify myself, I tried to blame her. And what did I accomplish? I proved my lack of wisdom. I justified the claim that I lack wisdom.

Here's what I should have said to her accusation: "You know what? You're right. I do that often. Can you believe God still loves me even though I can't seem to grow up. That people are still my friend in spite of my childish and unprofessional behavior sometimes?"

Thankfully, she came and apologized. I'm grateful because I got to admit my fault and say I'm sorry to her. And both of us were released from our tension when that happened, and then a therapeutic effect that most genuine apologies carry with them followed.

I will say this: apologizing for my errors is one bit of wisdom I'm getting pretty good at living by every day.