Proverbs: A Strong Man Is WiseSample

The Gift of Discipline

I can honestly say I despised correction during a part of my life. Correction made me feel like I was a complete failure. Therefore, I used to interpret all correction negatively. To add to my error, I would privately demonize the people who corrected me, holding a secret grudge about what they said and how they said it.

But at some point, I started to see correction differently. I unlearned my hatred of correction and the people who corrected me. This was hard, and it took years, but I discovered that people who corrected me were doing so for my benefit. I came to realize that this was even true of people who corrected me poorly—because some people tend to correct others very poorly, very often.

Correction, which in this passage from Proverbs is called “discipline,” is something that’s guaranteed to happen in a man’s life. Solomon teaches his son that he should not hate discipline or the discipliner. Instead, he should push through the negative emotional impact of the discipline and see the love and benefit behind it.

Solomon is giving his son advice to help him grow through challenges more quickly so he can have increased benefits from discipline in his life.

This is what godly men do who experience accelerated personal and spiritual growth. They see discipline differently. In fact, they see it three times: They see it for the immediate corrections they need to make. They see it for the benefit it will bring to their lives. They see it from the perspective of the God behind it all.

So, if you encounter correction or discipline today, see it three times:

1. See the immediate correction you need to make.

2. See the benefits that correction will provide you long term.

3. See the sovereign love of the Father for you.

ASK THIS: Are you experiencing discipline in your life right now? What is it?

DO THIS: Look at it three times.

PRAY THIS: God, take away my hatred of correction and discipline. Help me see how you are disciplining me out of love.