“Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.” (Proverbs 10:17, ESV)
The ancient city of Sardis seemed impregnable, sitting on a hill surrounded by high cliffs protecting it from invading armies. “Cocky and confident, the people of Sardis slept soundly while Cyrus, the Persian king, and his army climbed the steep cliffs. When the sun rose over Sardis on that day in 549 BC, its inhabitants discovered they should have been watching instead of sleeping.” (p. 14, “Today in the Word”, June 1990)
The people of Sardis were so sure of their isolation, convinced they could defeat an approaching army. They had cliffs to protect them. But the King of Persia used that false belief against them. His armies conquered Sardis by climbing the cliffs, hitting the city where it was most vulnerable.
Now, here’s the amazing part. Did the people of Sardis use this defeat to learn something for the future? NO! Did they teach their children of their defeat? NO! Three hundred years later, they made the same mistake. In 214 BC, Antiochus the Great defeated Sardis. Can you guess how his army initiated the defeat? They climbed the cliffs at night to attack the city where they were least expecting, AGAIN! The people of Sardis had not learned their lesson from past mistakes!
There are many in the history of our world who fail to gain wisdom by being unwilling to learn from criticism, learn from their errors, or gain godly knowledge about their situation. They keep repeating the same mistakes. Some are unwilling to accept criticism. Some fail to learn lessons from hard knocks. Some are just too hardheaded. Are you like this?
The scripture for today from Proverbs 10:17 brings with it a challenge to every person of faith. You need to “heed instruction” in order to find the path that leads to a godly life. This involves letting God teach you about right and wrong, holy from unholy, godliness from worldliness. If you reject godly correction and discipline, you will not only fail in life yourself, but you will “lead others astray”.
A godly life involves being willing to know your weaknesses as well as your strengths. It involves learning from your mistakes. You need to understand how sin occurs as well as the need for repentance and forgiveness and grace. Otherwise, you are doomed to a life where you repeat sins and mistakes over and over. Then, you will not learn valuable lessons. You will falter and fail not only morally but spiritually.
Hebrews 12:11 from the New Living Bible explains this further: “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Being disciplined by God is crucially important in your spiritual growth. If you don’t learn godly lessons, you will fail to grow adequately in faith. The depth of your understanding and knowledge of God will be shallow if not non-existent. You will fail in life. Hard knocks and good, godly criticism are valuable tools for learning God’s lessons. Are you willing to accept this godly criticism when you face it? Do you humbly recognize when you are wrong or ignorant?
Charles Stanley adds to this discussion with valuable insight. He wrote the following commentary on Proverbs 10:17….
“Have you been criticized lately? The ugly, disparaging words of others can be very painful indeed. But whether or not the reprimand was deserved, you can grow spiritually with the right response. When you disregard censure outright, you limit your capacity for spiritual, emotional, and mental growth. You may fail to examine a blind spot in your life or to address a deficiency that is in desperate need of improvement. This is because, like the red indicator lights on an automobile dashboard, criticism warns us of potential problems that, if uncorrected, can wreck our relationships and plans. But when you take others’ reproofs to God and ask if there is any truth in them, He can work through their words—even the ugly ones—for your betterment.
So, when others rebuke you, don’t build up a wall and say, “This is the way I am—like it or not.” And don’t attack those who reprimand you. Instead, say, “Thank you very much.” Demonstrate a teachable spirit and accept criticism for what it is. Then confront your weaknesses and examine your heart with God’s help. He can transform you if you’re open to dealing with unpleasant aspects of your personality and behavior.” (p. 338, Trusting God with Today).
What lessons from God have you learned lately? What criticisms have you taken to God so to learn from them without recrimination? Are you good at separating healthy criticism from unhealthy criticism? Do you take offense at every criticism, even those that may help? What lessons have you learned from God recently?
The people of Sardis were so sure of their isolation, convinced they could defeat an approaching army. They had cliffs to protect them. But the King of Persia used that false belief against them. His armies conquered Sardis by climbing the cliffs, hitting the city where it was most vulnerable.
Now, here’s the amazing part. Did the people of Sardis use this defeat to learn something for the future? NO! Did they teach their children of their defeat? NO! Three hundred years later, they made the same mistake. In 214 BC, Antiochus the Great defeated Sardis. Can you guess how his army initiated the defeat? They climbed the cliffs at night to attack the city where they were least expecting, AGAIN! The people of Sardis had not learned their lesson from past mistakes!
There are many in the history of our world who fail to gain wisdom by being unwilling to learn from criticism, learn from their errors, or gain godly knowledge about their situation. They keep repeating the same mistakes. Some are unwilling to accept criticism. Some fail to learn lessons from hard knocks. Some are just too hardheaded. Are you like this?
The scripture for today from Proverbs 10:17 brings with it a challenge to every person of faith. You need to “heed instruction” in order to find the path that leads to a godly life. This involves letting God teach you about right and wrong, holy from unholy, godliness from worldliness. If you reject godly correction and discipline, you will not only fail in life yourself, but you will “lead others astray”.
A godly life involves being willing to know your weaknesses as well as your strengths. It involves learning from your mistakes. You need to understand how sin occurs as well as the need for repentance and forgiveness and grace. Otherwise, you are doomed to a life where you repeat sins and mistakes over and over. Then, you will not learn valuable lessons. You will falter and fail not only morally but spiritually.
Hebrews 12:11 from the New Living Bible explains this further: “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Being disciplined by God is crucially important in your spiritual growth. If you don’t learn godly lessons, you will fail to grow adequately in faith. The depth of your understanding and knowledge of God will be shallow if not non-existent. You will fail in life. Hard knocks and good, godly criticism are valuable tools for learning God’s lessons. Are you willing to accept this godly criticism when you face it? Do you humbly recognize when you are wrong or ignorant?
Charles Stanley adds to this discussion with valuable insight. He wrote the following commentary on Proverbs 10:17….
“Have you been criticized lately? The ugly, disparaging words of others can be very painful indeed. But whether or not the reprimand was deserved, you can grow spiritually with the right response. When you disregard censure outright, you limit your capacity for spiritual, emotional, and mental growth. You may fail to examine a blind spot in your life or to address a deficiency that is in desperate need of improvement. This is because, like the red indicator lights on an automobile dashboard, criticism warns us of potential problems that, if uncorrected, can wreck our relationships and plans. But when you take others’ reproofs to God and ask if there is any truth in them, He can work through their words—even the ugly ones—for your betterment.
So, when others rebuke you, don’t build up a wall and say, “This is the way I am—like it or not.” And don’t attack those who reprimand you. Instead, say, “Thank you very much.” Demonstrate a teachable spirit and accept criticism for what it is. Then confront your weaknesses and examine your heart with God’s help. He can transform you if you’re open to dealing with unpleasant aspects of your personality and behavior.” (p. 338, Trusting God with Today).
What lessons from God have you learned lately? What criticisms have you taken to God so to learn from them without recrimination? Are you good at separating healthy criticism from unhealthy criticism? Do you take offense at every criticism, even those that may help? What lessons have you learned from God recently?