Reflect

“I need to meet with you first thing this morning.” Hearing those words from our boss can cause our stomach to churn. No one enjoys receiving criticism, even if we’ve clearly screwed up. I don’t know about you, but when someone is giving me negative feedback, there’s always a little part inside me that is pushing back against what they’re saying, even if I know full well that they are right.

The proverb-writers make clear the connection between being wise and being willing to accept well-founded reproof. If we want to grow in wisdom, we must learn to graciously receive constructive criticism from the wise among us. God wants the best for us. Because He loves us, sometimes His best looks like loving correction, whether through His Word or from someone else who cares about us enough to speak the truth.

Respond

Have you ever had to give loving correction to someone else? What happened?

Think about a time when you received valid criticism from a person that you trusted. How did you respond? If you responded poorly, what could you have done differently?

Is there some reproof that God has been gently (or firmly) giving you recently? If you’ve been resisting, talk to Him about it today and be willing to listen.