I conducted hundreds of interviews throughout my professional career. Some candidates were fascinating, as were their answers, and a few dialogues were downright fun. Along the way, I began to include what would become a “make or break” interview question: How do you handle criticism? Without fail, responses fell into one of two categories—fear or openness. The former came forth emphatically, as nearly a muzzled shout, “No one likes criticism!” The more reasoned response sounded something like this: “I think about the criticism and how it was expressed. If it is true and constructive, I appreciate their observation and work toward improving myself, but if it is not true, I regard their comment with a grain of salt.” I could work with these latter folks.
God speaks to us as a good father would speak to his children—with loving words of instruction, encouragement, and affirmation. Yet good fathers also speak words of correction, discipline, and even disapproval of certain actions and attitudes; it would be cruel for them to sit idly by and not give their children at least the opportunity to learn potentially costly lessons at the comparatively small price of reproof. For it is regarding our “struggle against sin”1 that the writer of Hebrews recalls this “word of encouragement”2 from Solomon’s proverb, “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”3
God would prefer we continually submit ourselves to Him and to follow His Spirit in the ways that are good and right; His Word inclines our renewed hearts in this direction. Yet when our sinful nature is tantalized and we succumb to temptation, God just as lovingly speaks reprimand and correction. Paul teaches us the way of our Heavenly Father: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”4 David likewise lauds the value of divine discipline, “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble.”5
Then how do we receive celestial rebuke, and how must we respond to godly correction? It begins with trusting the heart from which God speaks: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline,”6 said the ascended Savior to His apostle John. Then we turn back to Him, not in timidity, but in the confidence of our Father’s embrace. Concluded Jesus to John, “so be zealous and repent.”7
You are our good Father. Correct us as You must, that our lives would be pleasing to You. Even in reproof we will trust You, for Your love for us, Your children, knows no end. In Christ we pray. Amen.
1 Hebrews 12:4
2 Hebrews 12:5
3 Hebrews 12:5-6 (cf Proverbs 3:11-12)
4 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
5 Psalm 94:12-13
6 Revelation 3:19
7 Revelation 3:19
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Paul Nordman—Author 