Proverbs 9:7–9
Whoever corrects a mocker brings on insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. NIV
Nothing sorts out people more sharply and more quickly than their reaction to reproof and instruction. If a person gets angry when he is reproved or instructed, the Bible says he is a mocker. It says he is a wicked man. But if a man is righteous, when he is reproved and instructed, he will be grateful, he will respond with love, he will ask for more.
This poses a question for me that I often face up to and I think each one of us needs to face up to it from time to time. How do I personally react to correction and reproof? Do I get angry? Do I want to answer back? Do I want to throw it away and say, “That isn’t right, it isn’t fair! I don’t deserve that”? I hope not. I hope you don’t react like that.
Remember that your reaction to correction and to reproof is going to clearly indicate your character. If you get angry, you reject it. Then you’re a mocker, you’re a wicked person. I’ve seen this is true in life. Beware of a wrong reaction to correction.
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Derek Prince (1915 - 2003)
Derek's main gift of explaining the Bible and its teaching in a clear and simple way has helped build a foundation of faith in millions of lives. His non-denominational, non-sectarian approach has made his teaching equally relevant and helpful to people from all racial and religious backgrounds. He is the author of over 50 books, 600 audio and 100 video teachings, many of which have been translated and published in more than 100 languages. His daily radio broadcast is translated into Arabic, Chinese (Amoy, Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghaiese, Swatow), Croatian, German, Malagasy, Mongolian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish and Tongan. The radio program continues to touch lives around the world.Derek Prince Ministries persists in reaching out to believers in over 140 countries with Derek's teachings, fulfilling the mandate to keep on "until Jesus returns."