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- Leviticus 26
- Psalms 55
- Proverbs 2
- Luke 23
There are people in your life that you expect to criticize you. They are not your close friends, but you expect them to be critical of your choices. Everyone has these people in their life — the critical “advisor” you keep at a distance for safety.
But it is a bitter pill when a trusted, close friend speaks against you and corrects you. You did not expect it and it the criticism feels like an explosion in your heart.
Psalm 55:12-14 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
Your equal, your guide, your friend, a fellow church member corrected you! It hurt and it hurt really bad. What are you going to do now?
At this point you may want to retreat. You cannot look your friend in the eye and you do not want to be in her midst.
Psalm 55:6-8 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
Many women who have been in this situation retreat. They flee to the wilderness to protect themselves from further correction. If this situation happens within the church, then this dear lady will not enter the church doors again….ever…. Sadly, I know a handful of women that were hurt within the church walls and they fled into the “wilderness” never to return to scene of the crime. Sad.
What if the correction was needed? Can’t a friend tell you what you need to hear? What should you do with the pain that you feel?
First of all, all correction is not from a good source. You have those critical people in your life that will correct you every chance they get, and you have friends…friends that care and want to redirect you when they see you heading in the wrong direction. Pray for wisdom to know the difference between the two.
Proverbs 2:12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
You need to test the criticism to know if it is valid or not. Ask yourself, “Does this correction seek to benefit me, or does the correction benefit them?” If they want you to change to make things better for them, then they are speaking “forward things” and their words come from a selfish motivation.
A prime example of this is when the Lord Jesus was accused. His accusers wanted him dead because he was getting in their way. The accusations they posed were to benefit them.
Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
Luke 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
You need correction. You will have things in your life that need fixing and redirection. Who better to deliver it than one who loves you — a friend. This is why the pain is so intense. It hurts when your friend corrects you, but it is needful. Their criticism seeks to make you better. Your friend can see things that your eyes do not see. The friend that corrected you is the friend that can heal you, if you will let her.
Walk together with your friend; pulling and correcting each other back to the path that leads to a closer relationship with the Lord.
Leviticus 26:3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
Leviticus 26:6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
Take the correction and don’t fly away into the “wilderness”. Rejoin hands with your friend. Take sweet counsel together, and walk unto the house of God in company.
HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Lord, when do I offer suggestions and correction to my friends? Am I willing to do this?
Lord, how did I react when a friend corrected me?
Lord, is there a friend that I pushed away because they corrected me?
Lord, I want you to use me to help my friends. Help me be brave and offer guidance. Lord, I want to be better than I am and I want my friend’s help. Help me to receive their correction and not push them away…
Glory, Strength, & Beauty 