11 My child, don’t turn away
or become bitter
when the Lord corrects you.
12 The Lord corrects
everyone he loves,
just as parents correct
a child they dearly love.
Reflection
No one likes being told they’re wrong. Whether it comes from a spouse, a sibling, a friend, or a colleague, correction is uncomfortable. Most of us never learned how to receive it without becoming defensive. Our first instinct is to push back – sometimes loudly and angrily. And when we do, people often retreat, leaving the truth unspoken. Correction unheard is growth unfinished.
And if that’s how we respond to each another, it’s no wonder we bristle even more when we sense God correcting us. A sermon may hit a nerve, and instead of listening, we shut down. Or we brush off the possibility that God could be using a hard season to speak a word to us about the path we’ve been on. Sometimes God’s correction arrives not through words at all, but through circumstances. A door closes. A plan falls apart. If we let it, disappointment may become the very thing that stops us long enough to pay attention. I’ve heard many people describe it this way: “God had to hit me upside the head before I was willing to listen.”
Receiving correction is never easy. But Scripture reminds us that God’s correction flows from love, not punishment. Like a wise parent guiding a child, God’s voice calls us back from paths that would harm us and redirects us toward life. When we can remember that, correction doesn’t have to feel like rejection. It can be received as love—a sign that God hasn’t given up on us, but is shaping us into the people we are meant to be.
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
Have you ever experienced divine correction? How did you receive it at the time? How do you think about it now?
Prayer: Loving God, help me to receive your correction with openness. Remind me that discipline isn’t meant to harm me, but to guide me into the paths of life. When I resist, soften my heart and open my ears so that I can hear what you’re saying and continue to grow into the person you are shaping me to be. Amen.
