Are you Wise or a Childish Fool?

(Prov 19:24 ) Stupid fools learn good sense by seeing others punished; a sensible person learns by being corrected.

This morning we continue in the book of Proverbs. Here Solomon, while driving home the fact that we all need to be corrected, contrasts the difference between how the foolish and the wise respond to correction. As a quick recap, in this series we have already learned that:

1. We all need correction because all of us get off course from time to time. Without correction we would stay off course.

2. God corrects us because He loves us. He loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.

3. The faster we hear, receive, and apply the correction, the faster we can be restored to God's best for our lives.

That last point is really the crux of today's lesson. The New Living Translation of this verse reads: "If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser." Solomon is giving us two methods of learning and they relate to the level of maturity in the person being corrected. What it boils down to is this:

1. Childish people need to see someone get severely punished before they wise up: Have you ever seen a bunch of kids behaving badly together? You can talk to them until you are blue in the face, but once they have gone down the path of foolish activity it seems like they need to see someone get punished before they snap out of it. As soon as one parent steps in and punishes one of the kids, the others see the punishment and calm down. While this is bad enough for a group of 3 or 4 years olds, the sad reality is that the same can be said for many teenagers and young adults. Sometimes it takes someone getting arrested to 'wake up' a group of deviants from the error of their ways. While their parents, friends, Pastors, and etc. go to great lengths to talk to them, in and attempt to provide oral correction, unfortunately it is not until the fool sees someone get into serious trouble that they associate real pain with their actions and seek change.

2. When the wise are in error all they need is a simple word of correction: Unlike the childish fool the wise are willing to hear and accept correction, because they know that without it they will never truly mature and develop into the person God desires for them to be. The truly wise actually welcome correction. Why? Because they are wise enough to know that they don't know it all and they have a sincere desire to grow. Their wisdom teaches them to learn from as many people as possible and to especially learn from the mistakes of others.

So what does this mean to you? It means that you need to decide which type of person you want to be? Are you going to be the childish fool who has to see someone get into serious trouble before he makes a change or will you be the wise man who accepts and applies a simple word of correction? I have been both and I can tell you that the latter is much better!

Father, I thank You for loving me enough to correct me. You correct me directly through Your Spirit and Your Word and also indirectly, by sending others to me. Whether directly or indirectly, I declare, by faith, that I receive the correction, because I realize I need it. I get off course from time to time and Your course corrections help me to get back on Your desired path for my life. Thank You for caring enough about me to see to it that I hear what I need to hear. And I also declare that as I hear it, I won't fight against it, but instead I will receive it, apply it, and be changed by it. I welcome correction! In Jesus' name. Amen!