Raise Your Hand If You Want Correction!
Wouldn’t you love it if people joyfully received correction when they missed the mark in one area of their life? What a difference it would make in the culture of any Christian fellowship Wow!
I recently received a very pointed rebuke. It has set me to ponder why I don’t get more of corrections in life. Seriously, it is not because I don’t need correction on a regular basis.
Who likes correction, rebuke, reproof, or to be evaluated? You are at work and make the announcement, “I’ll be setting up evaluations this week; who wants to be first?” Do the hands just shoot up all over the place?
It has been my mantra all my professional life, “You tell everything about a person by the way they receive correction.” Try this on for size, When was the last time you were corrected by someone, anyone? What was your reaction?
We are so reticent today to give people correction. Our culture has this “hypersensitivity to offense” thing going on. Everyone treads so lightly; we don’t dare want to offend anyone. And, who am I to give a word of correction to a friend, colleague, Christian brother or anyone close? It’s my observation that this sensitivity to potential offense has bled into the management style of most pastors and Christian leaders.
Here’s the problem. We don’t see correction, reproof, or rebuke in the proper light. We need “spiritual eyes” to see the beauty of it. When rebuke comes, it is a rare opportunity to move up in the Lord. It is advancement. It is God’s plan, from His heart, His method for impacting our generations to follow. It is His way to call people into their destiny and completion (Heb. 7:25) Yes; it is that pervasive and poignant to our life in Christ.
Can you see correction as an encouragement? Truth is, it should be a great encouragement to any son or daughter of the Lord. He is the author of correction. It flows out of His heart with love and compassion. It is His pathway for us. “All the paths of the Lord are loving-kindness and truth” (Ps. 25:10).
“For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).
“He is one the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who forsakes reproof goes astray” (Proverbs 10:17).
Tim Cameron Writings 