The book of Proverbs is a guide for pursuing godly wisdom in our daily lives. In this four-week study, we will read a selection of topical proverbs covering different aspects of wisdom, from how to interact with our friends, families, and neighbors, to fearing God and keeping His commands. No matter the subject, these proverbs urge us to wrestle with and reflect on our own response to them. To help you better engage with the proverbs in this reading plan, we have provided you with a short introduction and reflection questions for each day.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be open to correction from God’s Word and from people in our lives who love us. Receiving correction requires the humility to openly admit that we do not know all there is to know. Consider how these proverbs dealing with correction are working to correct you even as you read them.
Reflection Questions:
From whom do you welcome correction? Why?
Consider Proverbs 15:12. Describe what a mocker is and does. What motivates them to do so? In what ways are you a mocker?
How would you explain the meaning of Proverbs 27:6? What are some wounds good friends have given you in the spirit of this proverb? What do you think the phrase “kisses of an enemy” means?
Love that film! And I totally remember that scene. But I never thought of it that way until you commented on it. Yes I agree confrontation can be hard. Especially hard when you’re the one that has to the confrontation or call something out on somebody.
I am open to correction from the people I trust and am close with. That doesn’t mean it is always easy to hear or that I don’t get my feelings hurt at times. I need to remember, in the moment, that they are only correcting me because they love me.
I am grateful for dear friends and family that correct and counsel me in wisdom and truth when I need advice or feel bad about something I said or did. I also listen to God when I mess up and remember he forgives me and wipes my slate clean to do better. Blessings and a very Happy Birthday to Stephanie and Taylor!
I can never read Proverbs 27:6 without thinking of Mr. Knightley from Emma. Emma makes a unkind joke at the expense of Miss Bates in front of everyone and Mr. Knightley calls her out on it later in private even though he knows Emma will be angry with him. He has motivation to stay in Emma’s good graces because he is secretly in love with her; yet by confronting her he proves he is a true friend. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
Correction for me is something I am good with some days and others I feel
attacked. If that makes sense. I think it stems from some deep insecurities and depending on the day, being corrected or told a specific truth about myself allows those insecurities to flood my emotional boat. I think it also depends on who is correcting me… something I need to work on personally is taking correction or personal truths from is my husband. My defences go up and I end up not wanting to hear what he is saying, and I think it’s the same for him. Something I pray for in our marriage is for the execution of our “correcting truths” to each other. We need to understand more how each other reacts to certain things. This is why it’s so important for couples to be in the word together and pray together so that they understand more where the other is coming from and that they can receive it with love. It’s a tough one .. human nature can steer us to “always wanting to be right” … but we genuinely need to sit back, pray and talk it through.
“Kisses of an enemy” .. how often this happens in relationships of all kinds. I’ve been guilty of it myself because it’s easier. Put a bandaid on it instead of truly taking the time to talk something out , even if it’s a hard conversation. The last few years I have been challenged with this with a specific friend in my life. She doesn’t know the Lord and she struggled with many things in her life. Every time we talk I feel the Lord tugging at my heart .. and I am so thankful for that. I have had some really hard but truthful conversations with this friend and we both have grown from
It. I don’t want my fear of having the hard conversations be a reason she stumbles … I want to be a light for her! ♥️
I feel the same way sometimes with my husband of 52 years. We have tried to work on this in recent years oh, but it’s still difficult. He’s a Godly Man and I know he loves me totally, but he can be a debater. And I don’t like to debate. And sometimes when I’m upset, I don’t want to hear him. The Lord has been helping me, but it’s an ongoing struggle since I hate confrontation. And thankful for the relationship I have with my six children, who often speak truth in love. My prayer, when I have to exhort someone, is that God will fill my mouth with his words. He has never failed on that account.
I got to get ready for work so I’m going to get to the point. I welcome correction from my very close friends whom I know love Jesus and genuinely care for me. I wrote their names down in my journal. And today I’m so excited I meeting with this wonderful lady who I consider a proverbs 31 woman. She was the head of our women’s ministry a few years back. Someone I have always admired. She reached out to me and we’re meeting today.
I struggle terribly with correction or criticism because I can equate it with rejection. My parents were super strict and I never experienced being disciplined out of love or with love. My parents yelled, emotionally reacted and shamed. There wasn’t a “coming together with love” after the discipline… they didn’t know how to to that. So consequently, I didn’t have an example of knowing I was LOVED despite needing to be disciplined.
There is a big difference in situations that require correction. Taylor touched on this speaking of her training and we know correction comes with new job training. Spiritual correction goes so much deeper and is a bit more intimate making it harder to receive, I think. Like Paula, I am a perfectionist and strive to be above the need for correction/improvement in my daily activities. In my spiritual life, however, I KNOW there will always be a need for correction this side of heaven and I welcome that correction because I know the LORD is for me.
The MESSAGE uses the term ‘know-it-all’ for mocker. In that sense, I realize I am, indeed, a mocker at times – not involving sin, rather how well I do something. God and I have had some moments with that issue!
The last one really speaks loudly to me because I don’t feel comfortable correcting a friend, but this verse reminds me that tough words given in the spirit of love and concern are much better for our good than words that say that what we do wrong isn’t a big deal and doesn’t do any harm. A true friend should always speak THE TRUTH in LOVE. Be blessed in your correction, ladies!