Who is arrogant ?

"That afternoon, I was busy painting; I had to finish it for a client, when a guy, came in and sat right in front of me. He introduced himself. He was sent by a previous outreach of mine. I stopped and asked him what I could do for him. He said, he needed counselling.

He started telling me who he was and he used all 'hi-fallutin' words and beautiful adjectives to describe himself. I was thinking, what in the world was this man doing here. I felt that he did not need counselling, he just needed somebody to listen to his grand adventures and achievements.

In my heart, I was rejecting everything he was saying and in silence, I prayed to God and said, "God please take this man away from me. I am too busy for his stories".

Then in my heart, God asked me, "Why?'. I said'"because he is so arrogant, Lord". Then He asked me again, "Who is arrogant?" I answered, "the person in front of me; can you not hear what he is saying?" Then He asked me again, "who is arrogant?" I paused in silence, mulling over the answer of God. I was thinking, why is He asking "who", while there were only the two of us present in that room.

Then again for the last time, I said, "can you not hear him and see the arrogance in him?" And He answered,"How did you know he was, if you are not!"I stopped and looked inside me. I realized that there was truth in it, my heart is so competitive, though people may not know, but I know it.

I always think that I am right and everybody else is wrong. I felt so embarrassed in front of my God. In my silence while that man was talking so proudly of himself, I prayed, asking for God's forgiveness and praying that He may annoint me humility to accept the arrogant and the proud, for He has accepted me even in the midst of my weaknesses.

Deep in my heart, I thank the Lord for sending this man to me, I was able to see myself in him. That very moment, I put down the paint brush and listened intently to his stories. Not only was that person delivered that day, I was also magnificently delivered.

Every now and then, when a person like that comes to me to seek God, I think "here I go again" facing a mirror and seeing myself in their person. Since then, I pray each day, "my God annoint me humility, not to judge, that I may see You in every person.