Posted Jun 29, 2020 |
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“Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.” Proverbs 28:23
It never feels great to be corrected. I have been, for a behavior I demonstrated or words I let slip from my mouth. Not really sure which is more difficult to hear, rebuke from a relative, friend, or stranger.
I have been set straight many times. An old boss corrected the teenage version of me for being late. A boss I had as a young adult corrected my work for not being up to standard. A pastor spoke with me to educate on ministry leadership. At one point my sister gave her viewpoint on my parenting abilities. One of my older sisters had concern for the way I treated my mom when I was a young adult. Most recently, how I communicate with others at work. Well the list could continue for a long time because the fact is I am not a perfect person and I make a lot of mistakes.
One thing I can say about my mistakes is I typically do not make the same one twice because I usually learn from them.
The thing that made the difference between all of these teaching moments was how I was being taught. Some of them would superficially sweet talk me about other things before they pointed out all the bad in me; not the way to go. However, there were a few that would get straight to the point, in love, about what I needed to see about how I was behaving or what I had said. They did it in love and although it sometimes was a bit of a sting, it needed to be said to make me a better person and I respect them for it.
God has found favor in those who rebuked in love. Are there people around you that may need to be corrected? If so, how will you handle it? How about just doing it straight forward and to the point instead of sugar-coated.
