When Being Right Cost Too Much

My husband and I recently took the vacation of a lifetime—three weeks in the Mediterranean, including a ten-day cruise on one of the most beautiful of luxury cruise lines you can book. It was unforgettable. Worth every penny.

What I didn’t realize was that the vacation would never actually end.

When we got home, the flyers started coming. Expected. Fine. Then more flyers. Then thicker brochures. Then full-blown books—the size of old JCPenney catalogs—landing in my mailbox like clockwork.

I called. And called again. And again. Six times. Nothing changed.

Finally, fed up, I called one last time and went full throttle. I threatened to sue. Asked for a manager. Demanded an address so I could send court papers for harassment.

That very same day, I was leading an online Bible study when we landed on 1 Corinthians 6:7, where Paul writes, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?”

Now, yes—the context is about disputes between believers. I know that. But the truth hit hard: I was trading my peace for the satisfaction of being right.

Instead of tossing the brochures straight into the trash, I started saving them. Building my “case.” I was going to win. Maybe even score a free cruise in the process.

But what did that cost me?

My peace. My joy. And an opportunity to glorify God by letting go of a meaningless offense.

Sometimes God doesn’t ask us to fight because the fight itself is the problem.

When we hand over our hurts, our offenses, and even our sense of being wronged, we glorify God—not because the situation suddenly feels fair, but because we trust Him more than our need to be vindicated. Often the irritation lingers, and that’s usually a sign—not of injustice—but of a place in our soul that still needs fix’n. A hidden pocket of pride. A need to control the outcome.

In exchange for releasing the offense, God offers peace.

And peace, it turns out, is better than a free cruise.

Now if you’ll excuse me…I’ve got a stack of brochures to throw away.