“Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” – Proverbs 9:8
EVERYONE needs correction and rebuke from time to time since none of us are perfect. We all blow it and miss the mark and need loving correction to get us back on track. No one is above this. The wise actually seek it out… But it is how we respond to correction & rebuke that is probably one of the easiest “acid tests” of our character.
If our reaction to correction is anger and hatred directed at the person giving correction, we are mocking fools. If it is love towards the person correcting, we are wise. It’s that simple!
I remember one time a good friend rebuked me for some things they saw in my life. The immediate response I had was (as this Proverb describes) hatred! I got MAD. I began to pick apart their life, building a case for why they were not qualified to speak into my life. After a couple hours of this, the Holy Spirit simply reminded me of this scripture, quoting it to me. I realized that I was responding like a proud, mocking fool and not a wise man. I want to be wise, so I quickly repented of my response and embraced the correction I received.
I can honestly say that it was one of the most life giving rebukes I have ever received. I ended up getting delivered of a major stronghold in my life that I didn’t even know was there! On top of this, my love for the person giving it increased exponentially. Sounds like the Kingdom to me!
LIFE LESSON?
Don’t shoot the messenger; it only reveals your lack of character.
EVERYONE needs correction and rebuke from time to time since none of us are perfect. We all blow it and miss the mark and need loving correction to get us back on track. No one is above this. The wise actually seek it out… But it is how we respond to correction & rebuke that is probably one of the easiest “acid tests” of our character.
If our reaction to correction is anger and hatred directed at the person giving correction, we are mocking fools. If it is love towards the person correcting, we are wise. It’s that simple!
I remember one time a good friend rebuked me for some things they saw in my life. The immediate response I had was (as this Proverb describes) hatred! I got MAD. I began to pick apart their life, building a case for why they were not qualified to speak into my life. After a couple hours of this, the Holy Spirit simply reminded me of this scripture, quoting it to me. I realized that I was responding like a proud, mocking fool and not a wise man. I want to be wise, so I quickly repented of my response and embraced the correction I received.
I can honestly say that it was one of the most life giving rebukes I have ever received. I ended up getting delivered of a major stronghold in my life that I didn’t even know was there! On top of this, my love for the person giving it increased exponentially. Sounds like the Kingdom to me!
LIFE LESSON?
Don’t shoot the messenger; it only reveals your lack of character.
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