The Key to Receiving Correction

During a conversation with a man one day, he said to me; Pastor, I want you to point out the areas of my life that are out of order so I can work on them.  He said; I won’t grow in God if there are things in me that don’t belong in me.  He continued, if I don’t know what’s there, how will I know what to work on?  So, “whatever you see that I need to work on, point it out to me.” With all of the stuff that I knew was in him, I could have written a book and handed it to him.
 
One on one, I never said a word to him, I knew better.  He was a confrontational type of person who thrived on controversy of any type.  He loved to argue and could find fault in just about everything.  I had verbally tangled with him before and I was not about to be drawn into another one of those traps again.  I hate arguing.
 
Constantly engaging in heated verbal battles will rob you of your spirituality.  They are draining.  When you walk away from a controversial conversation, you feel as though something has been withdrawn from you.  You feel like you are missing something.  You are missing something, the peace of God.
 
This man was a member of the church where I was Pastor.  I knew him personally and I knew he was not a humble man.  I knew that he did not receive correction very well.  He had sat under the strong preaching of the Word of God, but there was very little change in his life.
 
The Holy Spirit would convict him, but he would just get uptight about it.  This man’s offer to have me point out his faults was not derived from a pure heart.  It was a cover up for rejecting God’s Word and an opportunity to engage in a verbal battle with me to try and justify himself.  I didn’t see anything in him that resembled humility, so I wasn’t about to tangle with him again.
 
The Holy Spirit has revealed to me why this man and hundreds of thousands of others just like him in the church cannot receive correction.
 
Before I give you the reasons, I want to give some scriptures to prove that it is valid to correct those that are out of order.  I understand very well that the idea of correcting someone is not popular.  Nonetheless, it is scriptural and must be done at the proper time.  Let’s consider these verses.
 
II Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
 
Proverbs 3:12 For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
 
These scriptures and many others let us know that there are times that people must be corrected.  Now I will give scriptures to validate the purpose of correction and reproof.
 
I Timothy 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
 
Titus 1:13 Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith.
 
The purpose of correction and reproof is to bring about change for the good of the individual and for the good of the church.  When sin is allowed to run rampant in a local church, the spiritual health of that church will deteriorate, the anointing will leave and it will be reduced to little more than an entertainment center!  The church must be more concerned about spiritual maturity than a swelling membership and bragging rights to being the fastest growing church in the area.  Moving people from rebellious illegitimacy to a son ship relationship with the Father is God’s way (Hebrews 12:8).
 
Why is it that many won’t receive correction and reproof?  Let me start by asking a few questions.
 
Do you always have to be right?  Must you always have it your way?  Do you find fault with everyone except yourself?  Are you overly defensive and get offended easily?  Do you get angry when a fault is pointed out?  Do you hold grudges?  Are you unforgiving?  What are the honest answers to these questions?
 
If your answer is yes to these questions, we have identified a problem.  You don’t like to be corrected and won’t receive correction very well.  The reason you won’t receive correction very well is because you are lacking in the humility department.
 
If you are lacking in humility, you are overweight in pride.  Pride is the exact opposite of humility.  If your answer is yes to the above questions, you are definitely operating in pride.
 
Proverbs 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife.
 
James 4:6: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
 
If you are not humble, God will not extend grace to you.  If grace is not imparted to you, you cannot receive correction.  Grace is God’s strength, ability, favor and divine influence.  Grace is supernatural influence in you giving you authority over the power of a rebelling soul.
 
When you humble yourself before God and the people in the local assembly, you are positioned for divine favor and influence.  Through humility, God gives you grace to say yes to His will for your life even when you are corrected, and it hurts.
 
On the other hand, pride will cause you to get angry, lash out, and resist authority and correction.  Pride will say, tell others in the church about the situation and ask their opinion.  Pride will say, get even, find out something about the one in authority who is doing the correcting and spread it over to everyone.  Pride will say, leave the Church because those people don’t love you anyway.
 
We need to be reminded that this is what humility and grace will say: I am wrong and i blew it.  In humility you will pray, Lord help me to receive correction from those who are in authority.  You have placed leaders in my life for my good because they watch for my soul.  My leaders desire to see me grow and mature in Jesus Christ.  The correction is private.  I will not talk about it throughout the church and the community.  I will keep it private.  I will not seek revenge.
 
Lord I humble myself to obtain your grace to receive biblical correction.
 
By your grace I overcome and move forward in Jesus name, amen.