Correction Isn't Fun. Not At All. Not Even A Little.
Posted by:
Bible Blogger on
January 31, 2007 at
6:24PM EST
Correction is a necessary part of life. None of us...not you, me,
Albert Einstein, Bill Gates or even Stephen Colbert knows everything
there is to know. There are also times that we make mistakes in our
social interaction or workplace interaction. Regardless of the type of
mistake we make it's never fun to be corrected. None of us want to
face it but it's so clear in Scripture we need to accept it:
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid."-Proverbs 12:1 (NIV)
"He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored." - Proverbs 13:18 (NIV)
"Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die." - Proverbs 15:10 (NIV)
It's hard sometimes to take correction because in addition to your
mistakes you find out there's other things you did or didn't know that
add to the bad feelings. As an example, say you had a woman in your
church who was a prayer partner and confidant. You shared with her
things you were praying about and concerns about life and even vented
about things at work. Then your boss yells at you one day and you find
out your confidant was telling your boss what you told her!
How does that make you feel? First, you're embarrassed because that
information was told to someone it was never meant to hear. Just
another lesson in not saying anything that you shouldn't be saying!
Second, you're hurt because it's threatening your job and income.
Certainly it's put a black mark on your employment and it's going to be
next to impossible to erase that black mark. Third you feel a deep
betrayal because you had put your trust into someone and they turned
around and violated that trust.
All of it could drive you into a depression or maybe into anger and
rage. It's emotions and feelings that are disconcerting. You don't
want to be in those places and you don't want to feel like this again.
This is where correction comes to the crossroads. Either you do the
right thing...which is accept the lesson given to you and move on...or
you go the other way and take steps to avoid those situations. If
someone comes up trying to correct you on something you dismiss them or
start pointing out the faults in their life. You try to turn it back
around and dismiss their comments because they obviously have issues or
SINS! in their life and since they don't bother with those they're
obviously wrong with you.
I know the second option is tempting but you need to fight it with all
you have within you. Sometimes I think that accepting correction in
the proper way is the hardest part of being a Christian. It's so hard
to stay calm and not try to throw up some kind of defense when you are
clearly in the wrong.
So the next time you said something to your sister about your mom and
she tells mom avoid the urge to lash into little sis. Apologize to
your mom and remind yourself that gossip causes more harm than good.
Remember that:
"no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." - James 3:8 (NIV)
Now, I know I've focused a little bit on times you're corrected for
things you say but it also applies equally to things that you do (or
perhaps don't do.) Remember that God wants us to be honest in all
things even when it's hard to do or when it leads to our receiving
correction. So when you don't do that ten page report on the
prospects of harvesting one legged kangaroos from Sydney you need to
step up and admit you dropped the ball.
God is always there and God will always forgive even when humans don't
forgive. He will also be there when we're honest and say we messed up.
Trust in His forgiveness and always do the right thing knowing at the
end of everything He is the one to whom we answer.
