THINK TOGETHER.
How do you feel when someone corrects you?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 25:12. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
What does it mean to be reproved? It means to be corrected or set straight. Solomon is telling his children that we all need wise reprovers in our lives. Who do you think the wise reprovers are in your life? Who are the wise people, who love God and are able to correct you and set you on the right path?
Correction from wise reprovers is a great treasure – like a gold ring or an ornament of gold. It far better to have people who love you to correct you than it is to have money, or gold, or treasures. A gold ring can’t tell you right from wrong. Expensive clothes can’t show you the best way to live. New toys and games can’t teach you about God. Only the wise reprovers in your life can do that.
Why do we need wise reprovers? Because we are what Proverbs calls simple, and because we are sinners. Simple is Solomon’s word for those who don’t know what to do. Remember we are all born simple and sinful. Young toddlers need to be reproved or corrected a lot. Why? Because they don’t know what is right (they’re simple) and they tend to do what is wrong (they’re sinners), unless someone corrects or reproves them. As you grow up, hopefully you need less and less reproving because you are learning what is right and wrong along the way, and learning to trust God.
The wisest reprover in our lives is Jesus himself. When you receive Jesus as your savior, he lives inside of your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now Jesus himself is correcting you along the way. He uses the Bible and the wise and loving people in your life to reprove you. He also uses your own feelings, like sadness when you disobey, and joy when you obey. Learning to listen to Jesus’ correction in your life is one of the most important things you can ever do as a Christian.
Because of Jesus we are being corrected and guided by the Holy Spirit.
With Jesus we can trust him and listen to those who correct us in wisdom.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
List your wise reprovers together (parents, pastors, teachers, good friends). How can you be thankful when these wise people correct you, instead of being angry, defensive, or embarrassed? (Trusting Jesus’ correction is the answer)
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, I trust your correction. Keep me on the right path of your love. Amen.
TLICfamily 