A Welcomed Rebuke...

A WELCOMED REBUKE…Some people are not correctable. They don’t have enough inward strength to be wrong about anything. They somehow feel they are a zero if any imperfections ever surface. But the path to adulthood requires us to come to terms with the fact that we are flawed and imperfect and it’s O.K.! Mature people know they are going to cross the line of insensitivity occasionally, and when it happens, they apologize, fix it and move on in good relations. That’s life at it’s best. But there is yet another level in this arena that can be taken by those who are spiritually motivated. It’s has to do with actually inviting and warmly welcoming the direct honesty of friends…
“An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend
are better than many kisses from an enemy”. ~Proverbs 27:5-6
This takes a level of soul strength to be sure…but for the person that sets up this kind of accountability for themselves…their future of Christ-like formation is very, very, very bright. This requires the right mixture of humility and strength. Humble enough to accept their flaws…strong enough to have it talked about openly. Jesus talked about this by His occasional use of the word “meekness”, the gospels. Meekness means ‘humility with strength’. For people who are worried more about their reputations…the appearance of their perfection…this kind of strength never develops. But for the person who is seeking Christ-like-ness with great fervor, this ‘meekness’ starts to form quite naturally. Thus they are able to invite the straight stuff about their imperfections. They have the strength to embrace their failures. They become “rebuke-able”. The ‘soul-weak’ person enjoys flattery…even from people who don’t have their best interest in mind. But the ‘soul-meek’ person, actually prefers the wounds of a friend. So the probing question…CAN YOU WELCOME A REBUKE FROM A FRIEND?
~Verlon