The Gift of Rebuke

Today’s Reading: I Thess. 1-3, Proverbs 17

Guest Blogger:  Andy Milligan

Proverbs 17:10
A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. (NLT)
Most of us would easily agree that we want to grow and become better people, but when that growth opportunity is offered to us in the form of discipline or correction it is often difficult for us to swallow.  In fact, contrary to this verse in Proverbs, it sometimes takes us a few times around the mountain to really accept correction and learn our lesson. 

By nature we don’t necessarily take kindly to being corrected.  Throw in our American mentality of freedom and independence and we often respond to correction with anger (also known as pride) or even retaliation.  Unfortunately, among Christians this response all too often comes in the form of scriptural justification.  We don’t like the correction or rebuke so we shield ourselves with wrongly applied scripture in an attempt to cast the corrector in a bad light. Yet we see all throughout Proverbs that one of the main characteristics of a wise person is the ability to take rebuke or discipline as a blessing and a gift.  This principle appears in no less than 8 chapters of Proverbs in some form or another.  If repetition = importance, then we should apparently pay attention. 

Really what the Word is addressing here is the state of our heart.  Proverbs continually contrasts the humble and open heart of the wise person with the hardened heart of the fool.  Despite what image the word fool may conjure up for you, this principle has little to do with intelligence.  The fool is not a stupid person in terms of intellect.  It is a person who is unwilling to change because they foolishly believe they are already as good as they can be.  The wise person, on the other hand, is quickly willing to change when it is made clear they can be better than they are now. 

The wise listen to those who have good reason to want them to be better people.  They try to see from their perspective and are willing to change when they know it is for their own good.  Most importantly, they appreciate the one who has given the advice.  This may be toughest of all as our nature is to find something to rebuke in others when we ourselves are rebuked.

Of course, we must also be wise about from whom we take rebuke and correction.  This verse operates under the assumption that the person rebuking or correcting has your best interest at heart.  This is one reason why mentoring relationships can be so powerful.  It gives the opportunity to receive correction and direction within the safety of a trusted relationship -from a person we can have confidence wants the best for us. 

How well do you take reproof?  Do you change your conduct or actions quickly when something is brought to your attention? Or do you need to be told repeatedly?  How well we take reproof is the acid test of wisdom.  A wise man is improved by a single admonition, but a fool does not change, even with devastating punishment.