Receiving Correction

Road signs are usually helpful. They give you direction, they tell you the speed limit, and they alert you to areas of caution ahead.

The sign you probably least want to see says, Do Not Enter: Wrong Way. If you see such a sign, chances are you’re traveling in the wrong direction and need to take quick action to avoid being mowed down by oncoming traffic.

Nobody likes to receive correction. It’s embarrassing. Most often, we simply don’t want to believe we need correcting. We get defensive. We blame others. We accuse the person addressing our error.

Remember: learning is also about unlearning, and it’s unlikely that our journey to what matters won’t include a few potholes and errant turns onto one-way streets.

So take a deep breath. Understand you’re human. And simply turn around and head in the right direction.

Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding. Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.

—Proverbs 15:32–33

From the book