Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 12:1He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. Proverbs 15:31
Heavenly Father, first of all, I’m so grateful to be able to call you Father… Abba, Father, as I begin this day. There’s no greater privilege, there’s no safer refuge, there’s no better address than to call your heart my home.
Once I was separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in the true Israel, a foreigner to your promise-filled covenants, without hope and without you in the world… BUT, through the work of Jesus, you brought me near… you made me one of your beloved children. (Ephesians 2:12-13). I worship you… I praise you… I adore you… for such a rich and firm standing in grace.
Father, it’s only because you love me so much that you rebuke, correct and discipline me (Hebrews 12:4-11). O, how I need to remember this bit of gospel-sanity every single day. All of your rebukes are “life-giving“. None of them are meant to be guilt-inducing, shame-producing, or contempt-fueling. You’re humbling me, not humiliating me. You’re building me up, not tearing me down. You’re embracing me, not embarrassing me.
What a foolish man I am when I play dodge-ball with the convicting work of your Holy Spirit. What a gospel-less simpleton I am when I get defensive and try to make excuses for myself. What am I trying to defend? Indeed, Father, “stupid” has nothing to do with my IQ, my SAT score, my GPA from various schools… “stupid” is what I am when I hate correction, despise your discipline, or turn your grace into a green-card for arrogance.
So whether you’re speaking to me directly from your Word, or by the voice of your Spirit in my heart… or even through my spouse, my children, my friends, or angels you send my way, may I decrease in stupidity by increasing in gospel-humility. So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ life-giving name.