A few weeks ago, a friend of mine approached me to disagree with how I handled a situation I was dealing with. My initial response was to grow irritated and argue as to why I was right. As the discussion continued, I realized I was wrong. It is a difficult thing to hit the breaks when you are angry and turn in another direction. In my case, I had to turn 180 degrees and apologize for my initial response. I also had to reconsider my approach to certain types of issues and make some decisions about adjusting my approach for the future. I didn’t feel it at the moment, but as time passes, I am increasingly grateful for the correction. I believe that God uses the folks around us to correct us. It’s not fun, but it’s something to be grateful for. The Bible talks at length about the value of being teachable. It is important to be able to receive correction and change direction, because God desires for us to grow. We cannot learn or overcome sin/fault if we cannot hear that we are wrong. The biggest obstruction to this happening in people is pride. Pride, as I am using it, isn’t just feeling good about yourself. It is to feel satisfied and confident in your own accomplishments to a degree that no doubt, reflection or awareness is possible. Pride has a sort of blinding effect that keeps us from seeing our own sins, failures, and errors. My initial response to the critique from my friend was motivated by pride. It blinded me to the possibility that I was wrong. The opposite of pride is humility, which is one of those virtues that is praised time and again in the Bible. For example, the apostle Peter wrote: “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” What he is talking about is having a willingness to be corrected and taught by folks around you. He doesn’t instruct more mature folks to do this largely because the assumption is that as you learn humility, you are becoming mature. This is not to say that we should never stand up for ourselves or that we should go through life doubting ourselves. Rather, it means that we should be teachable. Being teachable involves listening to and considering the perspective of others. It also means being able to consider our own actions critically. According to the Bible, humility is one of the core characteristics of a person who is spiritually mature and is a basic attribute of love. It is also not learned overnight. It is developed over time as a result of regular discipline. We must learn to ask others how we can do better and slow down and listen to criticism when it is offered. As good as praise feels, correction can improve you. In addition, you can pray for God to reveal to you ways to grow more humble and become more teachable. You can also learn to thank Him for things He gives us. This is more than saying thank you, but acknowledging that even the things we work to receive are only possible by God’s provision.
