Who likes to be corrected? Not many of us. I have met many people who love to correct others but not many that really enjoy and invite regular correction. Yet so much of our lives abiding in Christ is learning. Day after day we are growing into the very image of Jesus, or not.
I’m grateful to know that nothing is wasted in my life, even my failures. I’m reminded over and over again that God uses everything in our lives to teach us the lessons we are to learn. One tool that we meet face to face is God’s Fatherly chastening, or discipline.
If you want to learn, Solomon says, you must love discipline. It’s not an encouragement to just like discipline, or occasionally put up with discipline, but rather an admonition to truly embrace this part of God’s discipleship in our lives.
To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. Proverbs 12:1 (NLT)
It’s stupid to hate correction. It doesn’t make much sense that we would rebel against the instruction of our Father. I understand what it means to hate correction, especially when it seems like day after day correction meets me where I am repeatedly and incessantly. It can be very tiring to be corrected over and over again, especially if we seem to be experiencing the same repeated instructions. If we let our spiritual guards down, we may find a depth of anger and frustration growing toward the correction of God, and perhaps even toward God himself. It’s not wise to hate correction.
Yet lest you become weary, remember, the Bible is the source of so much instruction in our lives. His Word the Bible, literally inspired by God, is the primary tool in helping us grow along the way. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NKJV)”
Choose to love discipline today. Verbalize it in prayer and accept it in life. Ask God to give you a hatred toward things that he hates and to remove your hatred of correction.
Why?
Solomon tells us it’s stupid to hate correction.
Hebrews 12:3–11 (NKJV) “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
