“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1)

I sometimes laugh when I read certain verses in the Bible because of its candor and lack of concern about being “politically correct.” A cursory reading of the Bible will prove that God has never been concerned about being politically correct. That is Man’s (human) invention. Not His. The purpose of the Bible, the Word of God, is to speak the truth. Actual “Truth.” And sometimes the truth hurts!

This verse says that if we love discipline and value being corrected when we are wrong, we genuinely love knowledge, learning and growing. We are genuinely seeking to be the person God wants us to be, even if we get our feelings hurt in the process, because we know that being disciplined is for our ultimate good and God’s glory through us.

But if we do not like discipline or correction, even constructive criticism, the Bible says, we are stupid.

No one likes to be called out. No one likes to be corrected. But if we truly want to please God above all else, if we desire to honor Him and be the people, He has called us to be, then we will love discipline and correction because we know that is the only way we can become who God wants us to become.

And when we love discipline, we will pray verses like this – “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

People who struggle with receiving correction, discipline or constructive criticism would benefit greatly from spending time with the Lord asking Him why. It is usually a sign of insecurity and is sometimes connected to an emotional injury that has lain dormant and untreated like an open wound. It is a form of pride, rebellion and the need for self-preservation for a myriad of potential reasons.

The Lord taught me this lesson early in my walk with Him because I struggled to receive any type of criticism. It devastated my spirit. I was hypersensitive to it because I grew up in an environment where criticism was as prevalent as the air I breathed. From the age of 4, I was told every day that I was “stupid, ugly and no good,” and so much more. And I believed it. 

But when I gave my life to Jesus in exchange for His, at the age of 29, He began to reveal to me my true identity through His Word. The truth from His Word washed over my mind and heart like a healing balm. After some time, and with the help of my husband, who partnered with God to build me up, I learned how to receive criticism, correction and even discipline from the Lord and others without it devastating my spirit; because at the core, I finally realized who I was in the Lord. For the first time in my life, I knew that I was loved, cherished and chosen no matter what. That became the firm foundation of my identity, and no amount of criticism could shake that!

Friend, don’t be stupid, as the Proverb says. Instead, choose to love discipline and correction, ask the Lord to “search your heart …” and show you the areas where you need to make changes so you can become the person God intends you to become. Ask Him to show you why you struggle with receiving correction, criticism or discipline. Ask Him to use His Word to wash over your mind and any heart-wounds you may have. He will.

Remember this – “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:6)

 

Lisa Hannan lives in Valdosta with her husband, attorney Miles Hannan, who has been practicing law in Valdosta for more than 30 years. She has a B.S. in psychology from Valdosta State University. You can find her at www.lisahannan.org.