Job 32:2
"Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God."
Recently, I was witnessing to an individual who asked me several questions about the Scriptures.
This person told me they watched a television program that had said Adam and Eve were not really created. My response to this individual was that if I had to choose to trust man or God, I would choose God every time.
That is what Elihu was saying in the verse above. He was upset at Job for justifying himself instead of justifying what God was doing to Him. Elihu heard Job say how the Almighty was hurting him, and never one time said that God had a right to do to him what He wanted.
If you must choose between a man and God, you should always choose God. I know this sounds elementary, but too many people in Christianity are choosing man over God. It doesn't matter what the Scriptures teach, if a man says to do something different many will follow what the man has taught. This is absurd and wrong.
Leadership must be careful to always choose God over their staff. Pastors must be careful that they don't choose to defend their staff when their staff has done something wrong. I certainly understand the philosophy of defending your staff, but if they are wrong you must choose God. Don't fall into the trap of justifying your staff over God's Word. You may think this never happens, but I see it happen time and time again to the detriment of leadership's credibility. Leadership on all levels must justify God's commandments over man's sins.
Followers must be careful about choosing God over an admired leader. There is nothing wrong with being loyal to your leader, but blindly following them into doctrinal error or covering sin is not right. When a leader commits a sin, you must not justify their sin. When a leader teaches something contrary to the Word of God, don't justify man by using the age-old argument that it is all semantics. Semantics has nothing to do with right and wrong. If error is taught by a leader, you always justify God's Word by standing behind what His Word teaches.
Friends must be careful about choosing a friend over God. Again, when a friend of a lifetime has done wrong, you must always obey God's Word. Luke 14:26 says, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." God is teaching that your love for family and friends must never override your love for God and obedience to His Word. Yes, they will tell you at times you hate them, but you must never choose to defend the wrong of a friend.
The Scriptures teach in Romans 3:4, "...let God be true, but every man a liar..." Whenever you are faced with who is right, always "let God be true." Don't fall into the trap of justifying wrong to defend your situation or the situation of someone you admire or love. Truth must always be what you choose to defend and stand behind. This may be tough, but tough love is what helps those who are wrong to see the error of their ways.