Honored
…whoever heeds correction is honored.
Proverbs 13:18
The festivities were over, still the
majority of people lingered before taking their leave. The honored
guest had been well-liked. Most everyone wanted a word with him if
possible, and was willing to wait their turn regardless of the wait.
Willie had been honored after an
illustrious career spanning six decades. Garth had his attention
right now, “It’s funny, Uncle Will,” he said, “these people
see something in you I’ve missed all these years.” He smiled and
winked, “It’s not that I don’t appreciate your
accomplishments…I mean, after all, you have made an impact in your
field.” He chuckled, revealing his fondness for his Uncle. Then he
sobered a bit and asked, “How is it you managed to rise to the
pinnacle of your profession and remain there?”
The man, well past grey at the temples,
looked warmly at his nephew and replied, “I’ve been accused of
many things in my life, Garth. But closed-minded and unteachable are
not among them.” Garth had a puzzled look, so Uncle Will cleared up
his confusion, “I never stopped learning. I refused to believe I
knew enough. I learned to listen, no matter who was talking, and
found use in other’s experiences.” He leaned a little closer and
confided, “Above all, I never rejected correction, Garth,
regardless of how hard it was to endure.”
†
Correction can be uncomfortable. And
pride has a way of convincing us that any correction is nothing more
than unwanted information, something to be rejected without further
consideration. And if we take the bait we fail to grow.
No one enjoys being told they were, or
are wrong. But if we hold our response, and ponder long enough to
assess the information provided, we often find tender morsels hidden
within a bitter pill.
Accepting well-intended or even
misdirected correction can be painful in the moment. But tempered
with time and wisdom we can gain tremendous experience and knowledge
to be used in our maturation.
We can train ourselves to dig for the
truth instead of bristling; listening to everything being said,
seeing it as an opportunity instead of a reproach.
Prayer
“Lord, teach me to
listen. Show me how to put correction to use instead of pridefully
dismissing it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
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