This morning we’re going to continue with our series in in Proverbs. Wisdom for Living. Yay. Who’s been enjoying it? Yeah. I think there’s been some really powerful things that have come out of it.
We’ve had Pastor Ash talking on friendship. We had Pastor Sean bringing humility. We had Pastor Ben talking about speech and the power of our tongue. And then this morning I’m going to be talking about correction. Ooh Now, you know, it’s it’s a challenging topic but you know what? I feel like at the end of this message that you’re not going to find correction, a hard thing to receive, moving forward, yeah? So, Proverbs 1531 to 33 from the Good News Translation reads, if you pay attention when you are corrected, you are wise.
If you refuse to learn. You are hurting yourself If you accept correction you will become wiser. Reverence for the Lord is an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honours. Let’s pray.
Oh, Father, we just thank you that you are in every area of our life. And that you desire for us to grow into all that you’ve called us to be. You desire us to fulfil the purpose, the plan, the destiny that you have for each one of us. And so Father I just pray that my words would just really convey your heart. on this this morning.
And that we would leave this place. Knowing how to live with a teachable spirit. Amen. You know none of us like correction. Let’s be honest.
No, like, none of us really love getting corrected. It’s it’s not in our nature to enjoy correction and when we’re born, we’re born into this sinful world and we’re born full of pride and you know, we’re stubborn and we’re rebellious and we like to do things our own way and we want our own way on a lot of things so we don’t really like being corrected. Maybe you do. I struggle from time to time. Um so it’s not a natural response within us.
None of us you know when I woke up this morning I like stretched. I looked outside. I was like wow. God you are amazing. It’s a beautiful sunshiny day.
You know the birds are chirping. Um you know I’m heading to church. I’m going to see my peeps at church. It’s going to be awesome. And I’m just so looking forward to someone coming and bringing a correction into my life today.
I just can’t wait for it. You know, none of us get out of bed going, I can’t wait for someone to come and correct me today. You know, it’s not in our nature. We don’t we don’t go out of our way to look for it. We don’t really like receiving it.
So, maybe you do. I don’t know. Um but when we don’t receive correction well, or we don’t allow the correction that comes We don’t take it on board It has this ripple effect in and through every area of our life. In our friendships, in our relationships, in our marriage, in our families, in our church family. So, we need to understand that when correction comes, it’s not fatal It’s not a death sentence But look at correct correction as guardrails in our life.
So, correction comes to protect us. Um you know, when you’re driving down the road, if you hit a guardrail, it hurts. It’ll hurt your car. Maybe not you physically so much depending on how hard you hit it but it’s there to they’re there to bump us and and to keep us going on the right path and and going in the right direction and I don’t know about you but I would rather have a a guide rail and re receive some correction then go over a cliff. And and you know that’s that’s not good.
So so when we look at this the this proverb here you know we see that it’s saying correction is good for our spirit. It’s good for our life. And so there’s three things that I got out of this. Um this proverb. Three keys or three ways to help us keep a teachable spirit.
So the thing is listen to godly advice So, verse one in the amplified version says, the ears that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke, reprimand, censure, will remain among the wise. So, when we listen to god speak, it we need to have we need to make a decision. Am I going to change direction? So, there’s a difference between hearing something as well and actually listening. You know, sometimes we, you know, people talk to us and we’re like, we’re hearing but we’re not actually listening. We’re not focusing in.
And so, you know, there’s been many times that god has spoken to me as of you know, open up the word of god and I’ve been reading scripture and something will jump off the page and he’ll bring a gentle rebuke or a gentle correction to me or when I’m spending time in my prayer life and you know bringing all my woes and concerns to him and sometimes he gives me a little slap and says enough. You know that’s that’s not right and he’ll bring correction into my speech and my thought life and my my words and everything. And then when I’m on the front here in praise and worship or when I’ve got praise and worship on at home. He sometimes he brings correction to me because there’s been times when I have been so focused on what is happening in my life or around me that I’ve forgotten. His power and his authority and I’ve lost my reverence for who he is.
His majesty, his awe, his bigness in my life. And you know I’ve had loved ones. I’ve had friends bring correction to me as well. My husband brings correction to me also. Um and I’ve also had wise people around me who I’ve allowed to speak into my life and bring correction.
So you know when we receive correction it takes an action from us. There’s something that we need to change. And each time I’ve you know received a correction I have had a choice. I’ve either you know going to change or I’m going to be wise. I’m going to I’m going to be wise and change or I’m going to be foolish.
And think that you’re wrong and I’m right. Um you Proverbs 1215 says the way of the foolish is right in his own eyes. But a wise man listens to advice. You know when I was a child I was quite foolish. I don’t does anyone have anyone in their life who like just thinks they know everything? Like, you know, this is terrible.
When I was little, like, people used to say stuff to me. I remember, I used to show horses and I was riding horses for this lady. She had these little Welsh Mountain and so I used to ride them in the hacking arena hacking events and stuff like that. And so I used to travel around to show events and stuff and ride her horses. Anyway 1 day we were heading back from a show and I was in the car and I took my shoes off and I chucked my feet up on the near the air vent and she said to me oh Trisha your feet stink.
Get them off. And I looked at her and I said no they don’t. My feet don’t stink. They’re fine. She’s like, no, no.
They really do. I know, they don’t. You know, have you ever had anyone in your life? who’s like, no, They don’t. One of my sons I won’t name. Has my personality as much as I hate to admit it.
Um and he as a little kid, he would do the same thing. It would be on the weekend and he’d say, mom, I want to let’s go and see the Steve O’s. Let’s go over and see Maddie and Elijah and I was like, no, babe, they’re not home and he’d look at me and he’d go, no, they are. And I’m like, no, honey, they’re not. I’ve already spoken to Robin today.
They’re not home. They’ve gone out doing something. And he goes, no, I’m telling you, they’re at home. I know they’re at home and I’m like, buddy, they’re not at home. No, they’re at home.
And he just couldn’t. Like, that’s, I know that’s like not a a hard thing but it’s a that’s it’s that’s a spirit that’s that nature within us. We don’t want to we don’t want to hear what you’ve gotta say because what we believe is right and what, you know, so and we don’t want to look silly. So, we’re going to just stand firm. This course of action that we’ve been been taking.
When Ben and I were first married I had a few little things that had to be dealt with. Um and so and oh I have the best husband in the whole world. Um he has been so gracious to me. Um and I remember and I this was a trait that I applore that I actually didn’t see in my own life. And he said me one day.
I used to apparently well not apparently I did. Um in conversation, I would slip in little snide remarks and little things that would just pull him down and make him look less than. And I didn’t even know I was doing it. And he would he’d look at me and I would be like Anyway, so we’d get home and he’d sit and have a firm conversation with me. and I was like, I said, oh, is that what that look was for? I said, I said, oh, I didn’t even realize I did it.
He goes, well, you did. And I was like, okay, sorry. Anyway, we’re out again. You know, I’m at church doing my thing. We’re doing our thing and then, boom.
It happens again. And anyway we get home and he says, You’ve done it again. And I said oh I didn’t even realise. I’m sorry. And he goes okay well that’s fine but you need to know that I’ve been talking to you in private.
But I’m going to start correcting you in public now. And I was like ooh. Okay. Um okay. This is you know that’s like a bit scary.
And so I was like okay okay no worries. I’m sorry babe. I you know I don’t really I really don’t mean to to pull you down or or you know to make you feel less then or anything. And he goes oh no you don’t. And he goes but fair warning.
Okay I was like, okay, okay. Anyway, so, you know, a couple of months go by, I’ve been really good. You know, and then, all of a sudden, we’re out and about again and then, bam. It comes out again and so, in front of the people that we’re, he like goes, he just corrected me again in front of everyone this time and I was and I was like, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.
But it was in that moment that it actually really dug deep within me. And I realised that I needed to make a different choice because because of my past issues because of the things that I have journeyed through as a kid, I had this deep thing on the inside of me that disdained men. As much as I loved them, I didn’t really like them because of some things that had happened, okay? And so, it was through that and then I was like, okay. This is not good for my marriage. I’m not being a good leader.
I’m not revealing Christ to the young people that I’m around and I need to change. And so I set to in my prayer closet seeking God and you know really listening to what he had to say in the situation and just revealing things to me. And so we need to be people who will listen to a Godly rebuke yeah? Um it’s not it’s not horrible to listen to a a Godly rebuke. It’s actually really good for us. So, you know, I just want to put some handles on this too because we do have people who think that they can speak into our life but they actually, so we have to be careful on who we allow to speak because some people think that they have a right to come and you know, be bring correction and it’s not done in a right way and it’s horrible and it’s and it’s not good.
So, be this wisdom in listening to the right people and taking right people’s advice on. And you know and you know your spouse is the right person to speak into your life. And if there is something and you both can’t agree on then seek some counsel. Come and see a pastor. Get some advice.
Um and if we can’t help you then we’ll send you to someone who can. We don’t want you to stay the same yeah? Amen. And so you know so if someone says to you this is a stupid example. So if someone says to you oh you don’t need to look before you cross the road. You cross the road, you’ll be right.
We all know that that’s not good counsel. That’s not wise. Or if someone says to you, the speed limit is just a suggestion. You don’t have to abide by it. We know that’s not good advice, right? So, we want to be people who listen to godly advice.
We want to be people who will take everything on board and listen to godly advice and then change because we don’t want to be silly people don’t want to be foolish people but we want to be people who are wise. So we’re going to keep a teachable spirit by listening to godly advice. The second thing we’re going to do is we’re going to care for ourselves. Care for yourself. So, verse thirty-two says, if you refuse to learn, you are hurting yourself.
If you accept correction, you will become wise. When I read that, I was like hurting yourself. Ooh. I had never looked at rejecting erection as hurting myself. But this is what it’s telling us.
It’s saying if we reject correction we’re actually hurting ourself. So do you actually care for your yourself enough to take on board Godly correction? Are you willing to listen? And take that on board. So, I don’t, has anyone seen or do you remember the movie Inside Out? You know, and it’s this this Disney film that follows the inner workings inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Riley who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her parents and it follows her five emotions, joy, fear, sadness, disgust, and anger. On a journey in her mind to help her through the transition into adolescents and stuff. So I laughed when I thought of this because I was like oh, when I saw that movie, I was like, man, I reckon so relate to that.
You know, have you, have you there’s been many times in my life when correction has come and my first instinct is I’m like, so if you can imagine like because it, when the film is, it’s like the you’re seeing through her eyes and there’s this control panel in there and there’s like, you know, you’ve got Joy who’s like bouncing all over the place. She’s amazing and then you’ve got sadness who sits there this and you’ve got fear who’s like quivering and shaking and then you’ve got disgust who’s all sassy and attitude and flicking oh flicking her hair and everything and then you’ve got anger who’s like this bright red little thing and and so they looking through her eyes and and all of her emotions they’re they’re like at this control panel and they’re like oh oh okay yes you know reprimands coming and so then fear’s like ooh ooh no quick Riddle it. Riddle it. Riddle it. Put the shield up.
Come on. Hit the hit the Defcom four button. Put the shield up. Quick. Quick.
Quick. And then fears. I’m not fear. Um anger’s there and he’s like right. And he’s pacing up and down.
He’s like marching and he’s like right. What’s the rebuke? What’s going to be the course that we’re going to take with this word that’s coming our way. You know and that’s been me in my life. You know when sometimes when correction has come I’m like it’s like bam. The self fence shield comes up and I’m actually not listening to one word that they are telling me but in my mind, anger is like, right.
What’s my comeback? What am I going to rebuke them with? Why am I going to justify my behavior? Why am I going to you know, how am I going to do this? Because pride is rising up on the inside of me. And and I’ve allowed my emotions to take over. I’ve been protecting putting like I’m protecting myself from about what you know what’s about to happen. You know in our life we all have blind spots in our life. We all have blind spots.
Things that we don’t see. People look at us and they can see them and we can’t. God looks at us and he sees them all. Um and so, you know, when we’re driving our car, we have blind spots as well and we use our side mirrors. We do our shoulder checks, you know, to make sure before we change lanes that something is there.
And in our fancy cars, we have those beautiful little lights that light up and let us know that yes, there is a car there even though you can’t see it. Um and so, I think when we look at correction as you know, it’s not, it’s not necessarily a but it’s just someone revealing a blind spot in our life Um it’s you know, it’s a good thing, right? So, I’ve lost my space. Okay, where are we? So, you know, when we do receive correction, the word of god’s actually saying that it’s actually a good and caring thing to do for ourselves and and so, we all want to do something good for ourselves. We all, we all actually do want to be kind to ourselves. You know, we all take great stains to try and eat healthy and exercise and you know, do all of these things because we do care for ourselves but this is it’s more than a physical care like and when correction comes sometimes it does have to do with physical stuff But a lot of the times it’s actually dealing with our spirit.
It’s dealing with our inner man. And so correction comes because it’s dealing it’s going to deal with our inner man and it’s going to help us to live our life better. And then when we make those choices we’re actually caring for ourself. We’re actually making good choices. So care for yourself okay? Receive godly correction.
So, we want we’re going to be girls or not girls, people who listen to godly advice and we’re going to care for ourselves and the third thing is is that we’re going to fear god. So, verse thirty-three in the NIV. So, Proverbs 15 thirty-3 says, wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord. And humility comes before honour. And in the good news translation, it says, reverence for the Lord is an education in itself.
You must be humble before you can receive honour. So the fear of God that brings pleasure. It’s not that it’s not about us being afraid of him. But it’s about us actually having a really deep respect and a high and exalted reverence of of him. And be in awe of him.
Be in awe of his power and majesty. And you know when we walk this way when we walk in the fear of the Lord. It leads us to love him. But it also leads us to love. Doing the right thing.
So, and it leads us to hate the things that he hates as well. So, and it deals with our sin nature. Anyway and so, you know, we only really come to this place because we’ve acknowledged Jesus and we’ve made him lord of our life. So, John 316 to seventeen in the New Living Translation says, for this is how god loved the world. He gave his one and only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
God sent his son into the world not to judge the world but to save the world through him. So when we when we have that incredible revelation that because we’ve we’ve made peace with God. Because we’ve we’ve given our lives over to him and we’ve made Jesus Lord of our life. Our identity is no longer fixed in the things of this world. Our identity is no longer fixed in ourselves but our identity is now fixed in Christ.
And so when correction comes I question myself sometimes okay who’s my identity fixed in right now? When people are talking to me. Who’s my identity fixed in right now? Is is my identity in my material wealth. Is it in my position in my job? Is it in the possessions that I have? Is it in my status? Is it in my friendships? Is it in my appearance? So to be corrected exposes our weaknesses and shortcomings. It exposes all of our gaps and it gets to the deeper issues in our life. Our shame, our pride, our inabilities, our all exposed.
And for many of us, our very identity that we have formed about ourselves is now called into action. Well, into question. So, that’s why we need to have make sure that we are fixed on Christ. Our identity is firmly anchored in the love of Jesus and nothing will shake us. So, when correction comes, we’re like, okay, I know this is because god loves me and he wants to move me to the next place.
He doesn’t want me. You know, Max Lucado says, god loves us just the way we are but he refuses to leave us that way. He wants you to be like Jesus and Philippians one six says, I am sure of this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. So when we have this revelation that our heavenly father is for us. He’s not against us.
You know depending on you know for many of us how our dad treated us is a lot of the times how we view God or even how you what church you were in. How they portrayed God. Can affect how we view God. But when we see he’s actually like in Philippians, he wants to bring us to completion. He doesn’t want us to stay stay the same.
So, when we have this revelation that he’s actually for us, he’s not against us. He loves us unconditionally. And that he created you and me uniquely and he’s purposed you with specific gifts and talents and you know, that and and he is in heaven and he is cheering you on and he’s wanting you fulfill the purposes and plans that he has for you It frees us to actually acknowledge. Yeah, you know what? I actually don’t have it all together and I don’t have all the answers. and yeah, I am a work in progress.
And so when we view correction through that lens we become softer. We’re more humble. We become more teachable. We’re less insecure. We become less offendable.
And we’re we just truly free to flourish and grow into all that he’s called us to be. You know, in my own life, I’ve, as I have grown in my relationship with my heavenly father. Um I don’t I still do have that little inner voice on the inside that from time to time will go ooh Help. Help. Like shield shield.
And then I have to steal myself. And I remind myself who I am in Christ. That Jesus is just actually wanting me to be all that he’s called me to be. And so I constantly bring myself back to look through the lens of heaven. On my life.
And so, you know, we wanted, we want to be people who have a teachable spirit and we want to be people who look through the lens of heaven and accept godly advice and this godly advice in turn makes us want to care for ourselves and adjust when things come. And so, you know, if you’re in this place and you’re like, you know what, Trish, when you were talking about stuff, I actually don’t see, haven’t really had that revelation of our heavenly father that way because of things that have happened to me, things that have gone on in my world growing up and things that have, you know, been spoken and my understanding of god is that he’s actually, he’s not a good god. I just want to with you this morning and say you know what and so just so that you can receive his love afresh that you can just have a fresh revelation of who he is to you. So, with every eye closed, if that’s you in this place, if you’re like, you know what, Trish, I actually, that’s me. I struggle with seeing God as being kind.
I struggle with seeing that he has my back and that he wants the best for me. Can I get you to be really brave and just pop your hand up really high so I can see it. Thank you. There’s some hens coming going up around the place. That’s good.
Because he really does care for you and he really does love you. And he doesn’t want you to stay stuck. But he wants you to move forward. Into all that he’s called you to be. And the other thing I want to pray about is if you’re in this place and you actually don’t know Jesus.
You don’t know this Jesus that I’ve been talking about. You don’t know him. You’ve never encountered this love that I’m talking about and you’ve been doing life your own way. But you’re like you know what? I actually would to meet this Jesus I would like to encounter his love. I would like to make him lord of my life and help and have a helpmate who can come alongside me and help me.
Or maybe you’ve walked away as well from him and you’ve been doing life your own way but you’re like you know what? I actually want to acknowledge Jesus afresh today and make him lord of my life. If that’s you in this place, can I get you to be really bold and pop your hand in the air as well. Thank you. Thank you. So for those hands that went up in receiving Jesus as his Lord.
I just want us to pray together and I’m just going to ask everyone in this room to pray this prayer as well. Of accepting Jesus. Dear heavenly father, We acknowledge our weakness we acknowledge our shortcomings today. And Father we come and we just surrender. Our will over to you.
And we say come and be lord of my life. Lead me, mold me, shape me into the person you’ve called me to be. In your mighty name, amen, amen, amen. So, for those hands that were raised, can I just say congratulations? Congratulations. It’s a party in heaven right now for you.
The angels are all singing and they’re having a party saying woo hoo. We’ve just got another one that’s come home. Another one’s come home. It’s so good. And for the hands that were raised in saying you know what I want to encounter God’s love afresh today.
I want to have that revelation afresh of who he is in my life. Can I ask you to come out the front and I want the prayer team to just come and pray with you As well. So that you’re not alone in this. There were several hands that went up around the place. So be bold and stand and come out the front and we’re going to continue to worship God in this place.
So for all those people who raised their hand and said, you know what, I need, I need to receive god’s vision of, you know, I need to know who he is, I need to receive afresh. That revelation and understanding of who he is, that he is actually a good father. And that he has my best interest in heart. And I’ll just ask for the prayer team to come and just stand with these beautiful people. Believe that there’s going to be an impartation this morning.
That there’s going to be just a fresh touch of the father’s heart released into your world. So church, let’s sing, stand together and we’re just going to continue to worship God in this place. Explain hands please you again and again arms stretch hands praise don’t you get shy on me lift up your get up oh don’t you he lifts up your soul Lord we just thank you for your presence. And God help us to have soft hearts before you. Help us be open to what you want to speak and how you want to lead and how you want to guide.
Lord. If there’s any resistance within us Lord. God I pray you would need that out Lord. Help us to be your servants. Help us to be your vessels.
To be led into the good things to actually take care of ourselves. By listening to what you have to say. And we thank you for it in Jesus name. And everyone said amen.
