Honored
January 8
…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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