Craving Correction
When was the last time you received correction from someone? Someone who knows you pulled you aside or took a moment and sat down with you at some point and said, “Hey brother, hey friend, I’ve noticed some things in your life, I’ve seen some patterns in your life that don’t seem to be aligned with the faith you profess, or you don’t seem to be bearing the fruit of the spirit in these specific ways, or your life seems to be out of step with the gospel, or you should really give some thought to this area of your life.” If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of one of those conversations, you know it doesn’t feel good.
No one likes to be “called out” for something they’re doing wrong. Whenever it happens, it often feels like how the Proverb describes it: like a wound. But oftentimes, if we take a moment to stop and consider just what exactly got wounded, what we usually find is that it’s our ego most of all that gets wounded when a friend brings a word of correction or rebuke to us. “Who is he to bring that up? I can’t believe she would say that to me! They don’t even know what I’ve been through! Easy for them to say!” But as we consider God’s word on this, especially from places like Proverbs as we just read, we see that receiving correction from others is essential to a life devoted to godliness and wisdom. If you can’t submit yourself and open yourself up to correction from others, you are what Scripture calls a scoffer, or a fool, filled with arrogant pride. Without faithful friends that can wound us, we are likely to shipwreck our lives or our faith.
But God’s word exhorts us beyond just simply being open to receiving correction. That’s obviously a good place to be, and I would argue, even on some level a baseline requirement for anyone trying to live a Christian life. We come together, all of us, I pray, each week ready and open to receiving correction—and rebuke even—from God’s word as it is preached and as we read it ourselves. What the Proverbs seem to be encouraging us toward, though, is not only an openness to receiving correction from others, but craving correction from others. Craving correction.
Proverbs 9:8 says, “Reprove a wise man, and he will love you”—wow, that’s a strange posture, isn’t it? “Thank you for telling me I’m wrong!” But don’t miss what it’s saying—a person who loves wisdom and wants to pursue a life of godliness and Christlikeness actually loves it when a friend steps out in love, courageously, and pulls you aside to correct some areas or missteps in your life.
Do you crave correction like this? Do you desire the faithful wounds inflicted by your friends here that will cause you to grow in holiness and maturity and wisdom? When was the last time you opened your life up to a fellow Christian and basically gave that person full permission to bring correction to you? Not saying it needs to be just anyone. But hopefully there are a few someones like this in your life. Moses had his Father in law Jethro. David had Nathan the prophet. Peter had Paul.
God’s people thrive when we open ourselves up to and even crave the correction that comes from a friend’s faithful wounds. And so, let’s go to him now, in silent confession, asking him to expose those prideful areas of our heart that are closed off to receiving correction, and then I’ll lead us in a prayer of corporate confession.