Are you afraid of the insults and abuse?


Proverbs Couplet: 9:1-12
Proverbs Focus: 9:7

Abuse and insults. My question is: If we know the negative outcome of correction with certain people in our life, do we still attempt to do it?

Honestly, I go back and forth with this question a lot. And I ultimately have to settle on this: If it were me, would I want to be corrected if I was sinning so that I could change, or right the wrong? Even if someone has to press in and it's really uncomfortable for me--and them--I would have to say, yes.

When there are people in our lives we love who are foolishly or cruelly sinning or acting inappropriately, we have to prayerfully discern when to speak correction into their lives. It's not about being easy or comfortable, it's about doing the right thing.

If GOD has called us to be watchmen on the wall for someone in our life, then we have some pretty stern marching orders. Ezekiel 3:17-21 places a heavy-duty responsibility on those called to correct someone: 
"When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak to warn the wicked of his wicked way, to save his life, that wicked person will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood from your hand." (vs. 18)

Wow. And in our obedience we can probably be certain of insults and abuse. Sigh. But if GOD tells us to do it, well . . .

The goal with correction is never about being right--the goal of correction is to provide an opportunity for repentance, redemption, and restoration. That's how GOD treats us. And if that happens, all the abuse and insults will be worth it.

May our words bring life and hope, even in corrections, my friends.

Proverbs 9:7--Whoever corrects a scoffer is asking for insult. Whoever reproves a wicked man gets abuse. Tree of Life Bible Society Tree of Life Version - TLV #tlvbible #tlvproverbs
[WATCH Tree of Life Bible Society's CEO, Daniah Greenberg and me, Terri Gillespie dig a little deeper with this proverb. Check us out at Tree of Life Bible Society, Monday through Friday, LIVE at 8:30am EST. Watch previous episodes there as well. Stay wise, my friends!]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WISDOM'S JOURNEY: Are you being diverted? Proverbs 4:27

Image
Are you being diverted? TODAY'S PROVERB: Do not turn to the right or to the left. Divert your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:27 I love flying at night. It's a vivid perspective of just how small we really are. Looking at the expanse of the sky with its stars is peaceful, stable. Gazing below at the man-made lights that glow with seemingly brighter intensity. But, that glow is temperamental. Subject to the frailties of humanity and technology, and believe it or not, dependent upon the grace of God. This verse reminds me that until we rise above our humanity, we'll be diverted from the bigness of the Creator of the Universe. It seems our world offers a plethora of distractions. They don't have to be evil, they simply have to be distractions that lead to diverting us from God's calling and purpose in our life. Like the bright city lights, they can drown out the still, small pinpricks of true light from the stars. Until we rise above. What are some of the distract...
Read more

WISDOM'S JOURNEY: Are you a voice for God's covenant? Proverbs 2:16-17

Image
Are you a voice for God's covenant? TODAY'S PROVERB: ...to deliver you from a seducing woman—a wayward wife with seductive words, who forsakes the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. Proverbs 2:16-17 Infidelity. The last few generations tend to think infidelity was something they created. For certain they have developed it into an art form using film, music, literature, and now, social media. Throughout Scrip ture and history, women have played as much of a role in this sin as men. Honestly, as women, we should know better. These days, women tend to look at fornication and adultery as their rights -- their choice. We can justify and defend all we want, but the truth is that it all boils down to this: our choice is whether we sin or don't sin. Not a popular thing to say. There's nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Humanity has been sinning since the Garden. And infidelity has the same patterns and outcomes as it did thousands of y...
Read more

WISDOM'S JOURNEY: Are you lame or reliable? Proverbs 25:19

Image
Are you lame or reliable? TODAY'S PROVERB: Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is confidence in the unfaithful in time of trouble. Proverbs 25:19 I have a "trick" ankle. There appears to be no rhyme or reason when it decides to give out. I'll take a step and it's like the bones turn to rubber. A misstep on stairs or a ladder or while carrying something can be treacherous. If I knew what caused the weakness then I could avoid  placing demands on it. But, alas, I don't know, so I can never fully trust it. Today's proverb counsels us about "trick ankle" people. Do you have people like this in your life? For the most part, they are reliable, but at unpredictable -- and inevitably important moments -- they are not reliable. Even when we forgive them for these events, we're still unsure if we can depend on them. It leaves a small residue on our ability to trust them completely -- at least for a season. My ankle is a vivid reminder of the import...
Read more