Correction: Path to Growth

We have been having some excellent Thursday mornings at 6:00 in the Main Ground Coffee Shop. (Two more sessions left: August 13 and August 27). I have found the investment of that time this summer to be well worth it for two reasons. One, to get to be around and share fellowship with some truly excellent younger gentlemen from the church who can make you feel good about the future around here. The second reason is because of the content shared. Jonathon is leading the group through a study of II Timothy 3:16-17. Those verses speak to our hearts no matter our age or involvement.  ^“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  Last Thursday the consideration from those verses was the phrase about rebuking and correcting.

Being rebuked, corrected and criticized is probably no one’s favorite activity.  I remember many years ago a first-time guest bounced up to me after a worship service and said, “I want you to know that my spiritual gift is criticism.”  That did not prompt rejoicing in my heart. I have read a number of listings of spiritual gifts from the scripture and have not seen criticism listed. Aristotle said: “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”  Abraham Lincoln said, “He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.” Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” I had an English teacher in high school who, at the time, I thought was merciless. This was a writing class, so we were turning in papers multiple times a week. I found her difficult to please and my papers would come back so marked up with the red pen that you would have thought someone had a hemorrhage on the paper. I am still not a great writer, but you would not want to read my material were it not for her welcome and necessary critical intervention.

Let me take you into the Main Ground for last week’s meeting.  We read Hebrews 4:12 and discussed how simply reading the scripture will provide a rebuke. (I thought about the fact that each day God’s sharper than double-edged sword word hits the bulls-eye of my sinful heart). We discussed James 1:22-25 and how the mirror gives us a true reflection of reality. Just as James says that it is possible to ignore what the mirror tells us, we could make the flawed decision to ignore criticism that is presented for our good.  We considered Proverbs 3:11-12 and the fact that our heavenly Father rebukes us and he always does so out of a heart of love.

Jonathon asked the very important question: “What do we do with rebuke?” While the discussion was going on, I was writing down words.  On the positive side of receiving criticism, we can accept it and welcome it and use it.  On the opposite side we can choose to deny criticism, get defensive about it, resist it, or try to rationalize it away, much to our detriment.  Clearly, though it can be painful, rebuke and correction is the path to growth.

Here is the challenge we were given:  “We pray for God to rebuke us where it is needed, and for repentance to be our response.”