30/08/2026
The Chastening of the Lord
Why do we resent corrections? Very early in life, we rebel against being told “no” or being prevented by a parent, sibling, or teacher from doing what we want. What is it about human nature that makes us resist correction?
We may think of correction as punishment, but correction is really a necessary tool for improving something, prompting an alteration or modification needed to rectify an error. We should want to correct errors and improve—after all, there is no sense in continuing to make mistakes. Nevertheless, we don’t like it when, for example, a teacher hands back our paper with red marks pointing out errors.
We seem to hate being told we are wrong, yet most will acknowledge that “we are only human and not perfect.” The Apostle James says that “we all stumble in many things” (James 3:2). There is no perfect human on the earth today, but we seem determined to maintain that we are without fault when corrected.
Pride is part of the problem. We don’t want to admit we are wrong, thinking it lowers our status.
Correction is necessary for learning. We need to know when we are wrong so we can make changes to correct our errors and avoid future mistakes. The common saying is that “we learn from our mistakes.” The test paper we receive with red marks shows us our mistakes so we can figure out the correct answer. If correction is gratefully received, we will become better students, employees, spouses, parents, children, or followers of Jesus Christ. “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1). We certainly don’t want to be stupid!
