Here Are My Thoughts

READ: Proverbs 17

“A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” (Proverbs 17:10)

I’ll keep this very simple and upfront today: I think there are two very practical points to take away from this verse.

-“A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding…”

This is a gigantic theme in Proverbs. Who has your ear? Who is speaking into your life? Who do you have in your inner circle helping you navigate decisions? The people who are in your life make your life. 

And one of the reasons that people are so important is because we have blind spots. We are self-deceived, and we can’t always see our own warts. Therefore, we need other people to call out the darkness that is in us. And when we are seeking wisdom, that “calling out”, that rebuke, makes a difference. It allows us to grow into the people we were always created to be, because rebuke makes us stop lying to ourselves. It may be a painful process at first, but it is worth it for the sanctification that takes place in the midst of that calling out.

But there is another lesson from this verse…

-“…than a hundred blows into a fool.”

Some people just aren’t wise. They don’t want to understand, and therefore they won’t. No matter what you say, or how you say it, some people just don’t listen to sound advice or counsel. As a pastor, this can be frustrating. I am in ministry because I want to help people maximize life, both this life and the life to come. And that leads to having conversations with people who are struggling, conversations that sometimes end without seemingly any reception to the direction you’ve given.

It doesn’t mean you stop trying-and it doesn’t mean you stop trying, because wisdom should always be offered. But it does mean that we can’t take it personally whenever someone doesn’t listen to what we think is wise counsel. Sometimes, people won’t listen.

And one more thing: if you find yourself being someone who won’t listen to the advice of others, maybe you’re not as wise as you think. Maybe wisdom needs to make its way deeper into your life. 

But if it does, man-you’ll be set. Because for wise people, a rebuke goes deep, and it brings about growth.

-Brett