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WISDOM AS CORRECTION - PROVERBS 4:1-10

I want to talk to you today about wisdom as correction. Now we don't think of getting forward in life by allowing other people to really tell us how it is, tell us what we're doing wrong, but today's teaching we're going to find out that is exactly the case.

So the Bible says that if we're going to attain wisdom that we are supposed to accept rebuke and we're supposed to accept correction from people. Now the people that we accept rebuke and correction from, that's our choice and then that also says a lot about us as far as where we're at in our relationship with God. So let's break this down a little bit. Now wisdom is correction.

This word here, correction, the first thing that it means is instruction. So typically when you're given a new product or a new toy or car, it comes with a set of instructions and you can't assume that you know how to operate what it is that you've been given without reading the manual. So life is very much like that.

God has given us a manual for how to navigate our time here on earth called the Bible. It's been said that the Bible is the basic instructions before leaving earth and so you'll find everything that you need for quality decision making right inside the Bible. It's one of the reasons I recommend that you participate in a one-year Bible plan.

How are you going to know every way to make a good decision unless you've been keeping up with what's actually been written down? If you think manuals for cars are intensive, you should take time reading through the 66 books that God's left for us to figure out how to spend our time in the wisest possible manner here on earth. So the second thing that we're going to do is we're going to want to get instruction from God through prayer and then through His word through scripture as it speaks to us.. Now if you are looking for wisdom in how to build a business, you're going to want to find a wise person to learn business from, you're going to want to find wise people who you can look up to in your marriage with your family.

Really any area of life that you want to grow in, there's somebody who's gone before you. That is very comforting. I suggest that you seek mentors out, people that can help guide you on the path in the different areas of your life that you're trying to grow in. So instruction from God, from His word, and then from people that we choose. They'll show us how it's done.

The second thing is correction. Now first is instruction and then you don't have to read instructions for too long to get you got it corrected. Much in the same way that when you're first learning how to play baseball, someone shows you how to hold a bat, how to swing, where to stand in the batter's box. Life is very much this way. So we want to allow God to correct us. We want to allow His word to correct us and we want to allow other wise believers to correct us. Now this is not a punitive measure, this is not hurtful, this is actually for our benefit and so we want to accept instruction and correction so that we of course can learn how to grow.

Now the third thing is discipline. Now discipline, what does this mean? Well it means that people point out to you things that you need to correct, yes, but also you then commit to come under the constraints of the instruction and the correction. Instruction and correction is only useful if you're willing to use these two wonderful instruments on the side of your head. Those are called your ears and you're supposed to listen. So we want to listen to instruction, we want to listen to correction. When we choose to do those things, that equals personal discipline, you're then allowing yourself to come under the constraints of what is being pointed out to you. So discipline is on us. You want to ask yourself some questions. Am I willing to listen and then am I willing to do what I'm told? That is a straight step in the direction of wisdom.

And then lastly, the harshest meaning of this word is the word rebuke. Now rebuke is saved for people who know better. You can't rebuke someone until they've been instructed. You can't rebuke someone until they've been corrected a few times. You can't rebuke someone until they've chosen to have the discipline to listen and to obey.

Rebuke is for those who have made up their mind that they're going to do it their way no matter what.

And so sometimes we get like this in our life, we just decide we're going to do our own thing and then God has to rebuke us. Now rebuke is the harshest form of correction. It's really for when we know better. And so we really want to avoid needing to be rebuked by God and then needing to be rebuked by other people.

Let's make God's job with us easier. Let's make other people's role in our life easier by being humble. The humble person says, I'm going to accept instruction. The humble person says, I'm going to accept correction. The humble person says, I'm going to apply the discipline to instruction and correction so that we can avoid rebuke. If you add all that up, wisdom can come by embracing correction.

Well, thanks so much for joining me. Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.