AVOID BEING STUPID
Proverbs 12:1 NKJV
12 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.
Joy is not going to like the title of this devotional at all. In all the years I have known her, she has intensely disliked the word stupid. When Michael, our youngest, was four, he told us one evening at dinner that he told his teachers at children's church that his daddy said the 's' word. The meal stopped as I, as calmly as possible, asked my son what the 's' word was. He whispered back 'stupid'. Since The Ark was less than a year old at that time, I was relieved. I don't use the other 's' word, but I still think Joy was not happy.
This short verse is a love-hate verse. It contrasts what we love versus what we hate. And in this case, the love-hate has to do with correction and instruction. The person who loves instruction loves knowledge. The word instruction is used almost exclusively in the Proverbs. Instruction is also translated as discipline, but we do not get the sense of punishment. This instruction is something that can be received or rejected, so it is not something forced. But loving instruction means that information comes that is not always pleasant. Instruction can be pointing out errors and the need for adjustments. So, the person who loves instruction has a level of humility about them. It's not easy to hear what we are doing wrong. The person who loves instruction is a wise person because the instruction will position them better.
Contrast that person with the one who hates correction. This is the person who may be on the wrong path but doesn't want to hear about it. As a contrast with the person marked by humility, this is the one full of pride. But the proverbs just cut straight to the point and calls the person who hates correction stupid.
APPLICATION
I don't believe any of us like to think of ourselves as stupid. It's not a kind word that we use with others, and yet the Bible does talk about people being stupid or being fools. The Scriptures were written before we all became overly sensitive. Just in the last 30 years, I have seen our sensitivity as a culture rise dramatically. I have also noticed in that time period that our collective wisdom as a culture has declined. I am not advocating harsh language. I am advocating for a hunger for God's wisdom and instruction that enables us to hear things that go against the grain. Things that may sting a bit. But God's correction does not demean us. Being corrected does not mean we are less than as individuals. It means we are on the wrong path and need to adjust.
God's correction in our life does not put us down. Instead, God's correction lifts us to better places. I don't want to be stupid in any area of my life. I love God's correction.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for loving me enough to give me correction. Show me what I am not seeing and help me live in a wise way.