How do you feel when someone corrects you?  Really, how do you feel?

I’d like to think I’m one of those people that can just take it like a (wo)man and roll with it.  But the fact that I feel myself getting hot and my heart rate climbing, ever so slightly, indicates that is probably not the case.

Can I just be real?  Beyond the heart pounding and hands shaking…I feel stupid.

Yeah, maybe I don’t take correction as well as I thought.

Proverbs 9:8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

At first glance, you might think that Solomon was having an off day when he wrote this.  What’s he talking about?  Why would a WISE man need reproof or instruction? Doesn’t a wise man have it all figured out? Apparently not.

unnamed-5My husband & I recently got electric toothbrushes.  I’ve been a regular (aka non-electric) toothbrush girl my entire life so this was a change for me.  When my husband saw me brushing my teeth, he actually came over to me and suggested that I slow down because I was using it like a regular toothbrush.  Apparently, that ain’t right.

Lucky for him, I still had my toothbrush in my mouth so I couldn’t say anything but my facial expression along with the slight eye roll conveyed my thoughts pretty well.  Honestly, I felt kinda embarrassed…like, “Wow..someone has to tell me how to use a toothbrush”?

I think it’s easier to listen to advice when you are unsure about something because they are providing clarity.  It’s when you are sure…when you are confident…when you know that you know how to brush your teeth…that’s when correction can rock your world.

I can’t tell you how to avoid that initial feeling of wanting to tell someone where they can put their toothbrush – God is still working on me about that.  Maybe one day, I will get the warm fuzzies every time I get corrected but until then, what do I do?

I may feel foolish but if I am wise, I will heed my husband’s advice and take it down a notch with the brushing.  After all, who benefits from it? Me.  In addition to that, I am now a little more wiser – at least in regards to my dental hygiene.

A wise woman knows that she doesn’t know it all.  This is a lesson I am working on applying to other areas of my life beyond my morning routine. We all want to be wise but a part of that is listening to others who are wise too.  It won’t always feel good but their thoughtful correction could be used for our good. So, don’t brush it off.  ~Anu

by anitha

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