| “He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” |
| —Proverbs 10:17 |
How do we react when someone corrects us? Oh, I imagine, if you’re like me, it depends on how the person correcting us goes about giving us that correction. If the person does so quietly and privately, we may well respond with appreciation and do our best to implement the corrective behavior. If the person who corrects us does it publicly or harshly, we may put all our energy into rejecting the correction, even if the correction is proper.
As disciples of Jesus, there is great value in accepting and applying the discipline—the correction—that God gives us when He reminds us of a sin that we’ve committed, or a wrong that we need to make right. The word “discipline” certainly goes along with the word “disciple.” And, we who follow in the footsteps of Jesus are most certainly His disciples. Therefore, we need to expect, and graciously receive, His discipline.
King Solomon, a man of great wisdom, but also one who made his own long list of mistakes, took note of the value of discipline, when he wrote these words, found in Proverbs 10:17:
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
Graciously receiving and implementing discipline in our lives not only affects us, it also affects the people around us. How many times have we observed a child acting in a way that we just know he or she learned from his or her parents? Likewise, when God corrects our behavior, the way we receive that correction can influence how those who watch our lives will react to discipline God provides in their own lives.
As we begin a new day, let’s remain open to the discipline that God brings into our lives. As His devoted disciples, let’s receive this holy discipline with humility and also with great joy. Why with joy? Because in Hebrews 12:5-6 the writer of this epistle quotes Proverbs 3:11-12, telling us that:
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
