My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. (Proverbs 1:8 NLT)
No one likes to be corrected. If you doubt the veracity of that statement just get married. The most impossible words to utter in marriage & life are, "You were right. I was wrong."
We don't like to be wrong. We especially don't like to be told we are wrong or confronted about it. This is especially apparent in our culture. Everyone does what is right for them. There are no rights & wrongs, just rights & wrongs for me & rights & wrongs for you. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone it can't be wrong.
But the Word of God is opposed to this way of thinking. The wisdom of God is often, if not always, opposed to our way of thinking. And this inevitably leads to us being corrected because we must adjust our lives to God & His Word because he will not adjust himself to us.
Proverbs says, "My child, listen when your father corrects you." Being corrected is not only a part of life but it's a part of following Jesus. We are told not to touch the hot stove or run into the street as kids. Why? For our own good. Similarly, God corrects us for our own good & for his glory.
So when God corrects us, & if we are following him he will, we must not reject his correction but embrace it. Why? "What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. (Proverbs 1:9 NLT)"
God's correction leads to a production of grace & honor in our lives. If we are not being corrected, we are not following Jesus. And if he is correcting us, how are we adjusting our lives to him? In this way we find life & peace.
i like this. as a christian i feel that it's easier to admit wrong, bc we know forgiveness. idk, maybe its just me- i'm wrong a lot! but it doesn't bother me to admit i was wrong, be it to a friend, my husband or my children. it's a lesson in life. and it's also a good example. especially to my kids. when i was growing up i thought when u became an adult you would just know it all, and have it all together. boy was i wrong! when i'm wrong, or make mistakes with my kids, i want them to see that- no one is perfect! it gives me grace, it teaches them compassion and forgiveness. and a good pep talk and lots of hugs always follow. so i think of mistakes as a way to continually grow.
ReplyDelete