The Beauty of Correction

A wise correction to a receptive ear

is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

   Proverbs 25:12

Have you ever had your ears pierced? I haven't but I have seen it done. It stings in the moment, but in the long run your appearance is adorned by a beautiful earring. This proverb tells us that the same is true of wise correction. It stings in the moment but, when heeded, wise correction can make your life and character more beautiful in the long run. 

Listen, no one likes being corrected. It's hard to be confronted with your shortcomings even when it's a loved one speaking to you. It feels even worse when the correction comes from your boss or someone you dislike. But you would do well to listen to correction anyhow. You don't have to accept every criticism that comes your way, but you should do your best to objectively consider them all. Correction is always going to sting. That'll be true either way. Whether you accept it or rage against it, hearing correction is going to hurt your feelings. But if you're willing to listen to the correction and consider if there is any wise counsel in it for you, then that stinging just may be put to good use. If heeded it can make you a better, more beautiful person.

So the next time you are corrected, reprimanded, criticized, or the next time someone offers to help you by giving their unsolicited opinion- ignore the sting. Love yourself enough to stop and listen and see if there is any wisdom in what they are telling you. If not, merely disregard their opinion. But if it rings true, then allow yourself to be corrected and to be made better by it.

Still not convinced? Here are some other proverbs that make the same point. 

• The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)
• The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. (Proverbs 15:31-32)
• Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. (Proverbs 19:20)

Mining for Wisdom

"Where can wisdom be found and where does understanding dwell?" (Job 28:12 cf Daniel 2:20, James 1:5 & Revelation 7:12)

In the rest of his discourse while trying to answer this question, Job acknowledges that man has perfected the means to search out and mine precious metals and jewels from the earth no matter how deep into the heart of a mountain they may lie. Man digs tunnels through dirt and stone alike to seek out the treasure he desires. Yet there is one treasure that proves elusive. No matter how hard he tries, man is unable to seek it out. It lies beyond our grasp. This treasure is wisdom.

History tells us that the great philosophers of old spent their lives seeking it out wisdom, yet the record of how they lived their lives and of how they died leaves little room for doubt. Whatever knowledge they discovered, wisdom was not found. Job reveals to us that "God understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells." Yet God, in His mercy, reveals the path to wisdom to us.

And [God] said to man, "The fear of the LORD-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding." - Job 28:28

The fear of the LORD is the well from which all wisdom springs. If you don't fear God, then you underestimate Him. You don't understand who He is. And nothing could be more important than understanding the nature of your Creator and what He requires of you. Thus, if you do not fear God then you cannot be considered truly wise. You may have attained some measure of earthly knowledge, but wisdom eludes you still.

A person of understanding shuns evil. Anyone who clings to evil actions, thoughts or attitudes is not yet made perfect in understanding. When we embrace evil we bring fire to our chest, for evil surely brings destruction. Our God will not be mocked. We all reap what we sow. Therefore, anyone who willingly pursues evil, destroys their own peace and security. What could be more foolish than this? Only a man without understanding would do such a thing.

Of course, I imagine you are tempted to reject these definitions of wisdom. Likely you do not find them fully satisfying. I Corinthians 1:18-25 shows us that in our sin man always wants to reject God's wisdom, chiefly in Christ but in every other way as well. So if I may push Job's metaphor a little farther, I would say that perhaps this writing hasn't placed jewels of wisdom directly into your hand, but at the least it has revealed a worthwhile shaft to go digging in. Do your own mining of the fear of the Lord and of shunning evil. Here are some other passages that agree with Job's assessment: Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, Job 1:8, Proverbs 8:13. Find wisdom and understanding in them, and pursue them always.

Treading Water

For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Proverbs 4:3-7

I'm not a very good swimmer. In fact, I don't know much about swimming at all, but I have been to a number of swim meets and I've even watched Olympic swim events on TV. I've seen people compete in the backstroke, the breaststroke, the butterfly, freestyle and many other events. But you know what I have never seen? I've never seen a water treading competition. I even Googled it earlier this week and I can't find a single, major water treading competition. Why?

It's no secret that treading water doesn't get you anywhere. Apart from its use as a survival technique, it's kind of pointless. Plus, it's boring! You aren't moving forward or backward, you are simply maintaining...keeping the status quo...keeping your head above water. Who wants to watch that competition?

This pretty well sums up what many of us do in our day-to-day lives though doesn't it? We aren't really improving ourselves or increasing in knowledge or wisdom, we're just keeping our head above water. We work hard enough to pay the bills and have a little left over for fun and that's all we really want out of life. But the book of Proverbs challenges us over and over again to push for more, not in a materialistic sense, but rather for more knowledge of God, more wisdom and understanding by which we might direct our lives for His glory. This world is a tricky place to live. Jesus calls our enemy the Father of Lies for good reason (John 8:44). The Deceiver is cunning and skilled at leading us into confusion. We need God's wisdom and understanding to live life the way we were intended to and thus to enjoy our lives to the fullest! 

Proverbs 8:10-11 says,

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Think of the great gold rushes of the past in the United States. Men picked up, left their homes, and traveled clear across the country in search of riches. Imagine if we expended even half that effort in our studies of God's Word and His world! Proverbs 4:7 tells us to "Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

Assess your life. Have you grown complacent? Are you merely treading water? Heed God's advice and seek after wisdom with eagerness and urgency. Turn first to the fountain of wisdom: His Word. Pour over God's written Word in Scripture and meditate on God's revealed Word in Jesus Christ. Second seek out godly men and women who can help you understand the mysteries of God's Word and creation. Be sure not to underestimate the gift of your parents in this regard or the gift that you can be to your children. I know that some of us had parents who were flawed at best, parents who excelled at exampling what not to do. But remember God gave you those parents for a reason and we never outgrow the lessons our parents teach us, positive or negative. Rather use those lessons to guide your life, and focus your energy on instructing your children in the way of wisdom and understanding. 

Happy Year-End!

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

At New Year's we seem to focus more on setting resolutions for the upcoming year than we do considering the year just past. Often our new year's resolutions take the form of pride rather than patience. Pride says "I will accomplish this." Whereas Patience says "I have accomplished this." Are you already considering all you will accomplish in 2014? Why not stop and consider 2013 first. The end of a matter is better than its beginning. At the end of a matter all the striving is done and there is time not only to rest and take joy in one's accomplishments but also to glean wisdom from the experience. At the beginning of a matter, however, there is often busyness and ceaseless fretting over all one has to do. There is too much to do to stop and enjoy one's work or to gain understanding at the outset of a new undertaking. When we focus only on what we will run after in the new year we rob ourselves of the pleasure of a good end and the possibility of wisdom gained.

So this New Year's as you enjoy a day off of work, hold off making resolutions for 2014 just yet. Don't allow yourself to become engulfed in new undertakings until you have properly enjoyed and considered those just finished. Stop. Pause a moment and enjoy what was accomplished this year. What accomplishments do you need to praise God for from 2013 before you move on and forget them? Consider what wisdom can be gleaned from your experiences this past year. What have you learned from 2013? What or who do you need to close the book on in your life as you move into 2014? What mistakes do you need to learn from? How were you deceived and led into sin? If you can pinpoint it, then you can avoid making the same mistakes and falling for the same temptations again. 

For further reading...

• Ecclesiastes 7- Read the whole chapter.
• Psalm 119:71-72, Proverbs 19:25, & 24:30-34- Wise persons learn from what they see and experience.

Take My Advice

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

Proverbs 19:20

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 12:1

I don't know about you, but I don't always do too well at accepting advice. This is especially true of unsolicited advice. So the other day when a church member began to offer his insights on how I could improve my ministry, it was hard for me not to get angry. As he explained the benefits of restructuring my ministry after the pattern of his ministry, I felt myself grow defensive rather quickly.

I stood smiling and nodding politely but I was beginning to seethe on the inside when the Holy Spirit gently reminded me of the many biblical proverbs which state that fools hate correction and reject advice. In that moment God graciously placed this question on my heart, "Is this person trying to hurt me or help me?" Immediately I knew the answer. The person I was speaking with was a friend who cares about me. It was a man whom I respect and who was legitimately trying to help. I realized that I was being defensive because of my own insecurity not because he was attacking me. 

So I stopped nodding politely and determined to start actually listening to what my friend was saying. I wasn't sure that I agreed with much that he was saying, but I determined to hear him out anyway. I told myself that I could think through and pray over his suggestions later to determine whether any of them should actually be enacted in my ministry. For now, my goal was to simply hear him out so that I could see if there might be some gold nugget of wisdom in there somewhere.

To be honest, I left that conversation thinking I disagreed with my friend and that I probably wouldn't apply any of what he had said. But I also left the conversation wondering if I was wrong. "Maybe I have missed something," I thought. Now just a matter of weeks later, I am getting rather close to implementing one of my friend's suggestions. If I had allowed my defensiveness to cause me to stop my ears to my friend's advice, then I would have been the living embodiment of the stupid man in Proverbs 12:1 who hates correction. Instead, thanks to the Holy Spirit's gentle rebuke and a good friend in Christ, my ministry is about to be improved. He and I still don't exactly see eye to eye, but because I was willing to listen to his advice my eyes were opened to new possibilities I otherwise would not have considered.

Ask God to help you be more like the wise man or woman who is secure enough to accept advice, rebuke, correction, and instruction. You don't have to accept every piece of advice that comes your way, but at least be wise enough to listen to it. Only a fool thinks he is always right.  

For further reading...

• Proverbs- How about a book of fatherly advice?