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Have you ever said something like, “She just brings out the worst in me!”? It really is true certain people and certain circumstances seem to bring out the worst in us. Did you ever think that there might be a reason for that?
In Psalm 19:12, David wrote: Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Then he goes on to pray in verse 13: Keep your servant also from willful sins… We see David was dealing with two types of sin and error in his life: Ones hidden to him that he could not even see, and ones that were willful.
Of course, David’s not the only one who has these two areas of sin in his life; we all do. We all understand the need to deal with the errors that are blatant; the ones we know about. But what about those hidden errors? Many times, these are things in our lives which never are changed because we just don’t see them. “Who can discern his errors?” David asks. In other words, it’s not easy to see them for yourself.
So, what does God do for us? He sends people into our lives that bring out the worst in us. Here’s a person in your life that causes you to be angry every time that person is in your presence. It seems like you say something hateful or unkind to him or her all the time. The truth is no one is in your life by accident, and those people who bring out the worst in you are there to show you those hidden errors, so you are no longer blind to them.
Think about it: Who are the people that bring out the worst in you? Or perhaps it’s a certain type of person that brings out the worst in you. Can you identify some of those people or types?
Inept and dense people bring out the worst in me. I tend to have very judgmental attitudes toward them. When I analyze that, I realize it’s the sin of pride, thinking I’m better than someone else. Wow, those hidden errors! Underneath them we’ll discover all kinds of wrong attitudes that need to be changed.
One of my regular prayers is to ask God to show me my hidden errors. It’s a good prayer, so I encourage you to pray the same. And then every time you’re around someone who brings out the worst in you, stop and realize God is answering your prayer and showing you your hidden errors, so that you can become more Christ-like.