Proverbs 9:8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

I had never thought of it in these terms before, but this verse provides a good way to check on your own wisdom level. That is, how do you respond to constructive criticism? If you are someone who appreciates correction and feels good about those who care enough to give it, then you are wise. If you carry a chip on your shoulder and get angry at correction, then you are a mocker and are not wise. Many who fail that test would deny vehemently that they are mockers, but that simply proves the point! Heart attitudes are expressed in various ways, and learning to read those things, in ourselves and in others, is very valuable. We really don’t know our own hearts very well, so analysis of our patterns of behavior can be quite helpful. If we desire to be true disciples of Christ, then we will constantly seek to be more like Him, and that means being honest in recognizing those things in us that are not yet like Him. When we rejoice to make corrections and love those who help us in that direction, then we are wise indeed.

Ouch! Defensiveness has long been a characteristic of mine. I honestly think I’ve gotten better about it, but I can’t say that I love correction. I know that betrays a warped sense of self-worth, because God loves me in my imperfection and wants me to become perfect. I have taken correction of what I have done as attacks on me, personally, and that means I’m not as secure in God’s love as He wants me to be. However, that hasn’t kept me from being critical of others. I’ve not been good at praising progress, or partial results, and I have alienated some people by seeming to demand perfection. I honestly think my desire is to help people do their best, but I don’t necessarily give them the gentleness in correction that I desire for myself. I need to let the Lord continue to grow me on both sides of this issue of giving and receiving correction, and my wife, I think, is one of His prime tools for that. In the past, my defensiveness has made her afraid to say anything to me, but she is generally pretty skillful in her corrections. On the other side of that, I care more about her than anyone else, so I am more careful about how I suggest corrections to her. I don’t need to be anxious about any of this, but rather trust God to keep working in us all to bring us to the likeness of His Son, our Savior and Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for not giving up on me, but continuing to teach and disciple me. Help me not protest Your discipline, however You choose to apply it, but rather rejoice in Your love and allow it to flow through me to those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!