Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers. (Psalm 141:5)
Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. (Proverbs 15:31)
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. (Proverbs 19:10)
In general, seeking counsel is difficult for most people. When that counsel includes rebuke or discipline, accepting it can be extremely difficult. The way David welcomes rebuke in Psalm 141:5 is not typical. Most of us will admit that as we grow older we develop an increasing aversion to accepting correction.
Please prayerfully reflect on the Bible passages above.
Something to think about:
Do you have people in your life that you are prepared to accept correction and discipline from?
March 20, 2018 at 3:57 am
God, please make me a humble person to accept corrections, as I am getting older.
March 20, 2018 at 5:04 am
The person that I would consider myself closest to is the person with whom I use to get upset with at times when I would go by him for counsel. He would give wise advice and sometimes wise advice hurts. I saw this proverb that changed my life which says ”Wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6). I am so grateful for those wounds because i have seen where they were not in vain but they helped me to grow.
March 20, 2018 at 6:48 am
I am smiling as I type my response- YES. I have a few special ones that don’t wait for me to be “prepared” but bestow advise and council quickly.
I say this in gest but also with sincere gratitude. God has provided wise people in my life that I can go to for godly counsel and who see when I need counsel and give it. Their correction also equips me to take counsel from others.
March 20, 2018 at 8:41 pm
I have a boss who is also a doctor and a friend and who is very wise and knows the word. I sometimes take his advice.
March 20, 2018 at 9:43 pm
I have a few people that i seek counsel from. If i try to count them, it will be less than the number of fingers in any hand. When i need to know if my attitude or decision is acceptable, i will intentionally ask for feedback from a few trusted persons at church, and at least two persons who i have worked with and also trust.
I have accepted the fact, that not everyone has my best interest at heart, and not everyone is seeking to place obstacles in my path. This is why i pray for discernment.
March 20, 2018 at 9:58 pm
I used to often take advice from anyone who I ‘liked’ or whose company I enjoyed, even when it was at odds with my own intuition/intelligence. I think most of the time I did this at a subconscious level. This was because I had a hard time valuing/trusting my own opinion. However, I have recently learnt that neither my own opinion more other people’s opinions/’wisdom’ matters. The only thing that should influence my decisions is Godly counsel. Whether that comes directly from the Word or from a spiritual elder steeped in the Word. Recently, I have become very accustomed to seeking advice only from spiritual elders who have proven that they have Godly wisdom and whose counsel has been proven true via the own fruit in their lives.
March 20, 2018 at 10:33 pm
I willingly accept correction from anyone, even a child, if necessary, but I always try my best not to have to be “disciplined” by anyone as that would be painful. Why? Correction means that I am not perfect so that’s not a problem as only God is perfect, however, I strongly believe that when it comes to “discipline” that THAT is something I should have control over, and it would be very embarrassing for me to have to let someone discipline me. At the same time, I know that I am disciplined by my heavenly Father if I fall short, as he disciplines those He loves.
March 20, 2018 at 11:29 pm
Hello All
Not enough people, but I have my mom. But one time I had been praying that God will send someone to explain something to me that was totally perplexing, and so paralyzing me into inaction. And He did. A complete stranger, a learned man of GOD who was studying to become a preacher, with whom I connected with almost instantly, and his explanation was exactly the thing my mother told me months ago. So I always had the answer but I did not like it. (ergo listen to your mother).
It just showed me that there are supernatural forces out there set out to intentionally deceive you especially when your mind is already made up and you pray for the thing you have already made up your mind about. You will hear exactly what you want to hear. Even signs and wonders.
So I am learning when I pray to submit to God’s will and to actively seek advice with an open mind. Lean not on my own understanding.
Good night.