Scripture
Better a poor and wise youth
Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.
Eccl 4:13
Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.
Eccl 4:13
Observation
It is not hard to understand why an old king, especially if he were a foolish one, would feel he is beyond admonition. After he had for years given orders, he probably came to the place in his life where he could not take advise from others anymore. His word has long been the law, and so to him other people's words no longer mattered, especially if they were contrary to his wants and his wishes. So he now thinks there can be no one wise enough or good enough to criticize him; he was above everyone else.
The state of heart that rejected admonition was characterized by Israel at various periods in her history, and these periods were followed by judgment. When Jesus came to the Jews he found them full of arrogance and self-sufficiency; so much so they would not accept correction. "We are the seeds of Abraham," they said to him coldly when he talked to them about their sins. The common people heard him and repented, but the Jewish priests had ruled the temple for too long to be willing to surrender their lofty positions. Like the old king, they had gotten accustomed to be right all the time. To correct them was to insult them. They were already too smart; too high up there. They were beyond correction.
Application
We can fall into the same trap. After a time of success and growth and maturing comes the deadly psychology of self-congratulation. Then success itself becomes the cause of future failure. We become arrogant. We get high-handed. We think our success is proof enough that we are above reproof. Who are you to tell me what to do when I am more successful, and more able than you? I am 'the seed of Abraham.' And who would dare find fault with the elite seed of Abraham?
Sometimes people can get so far over the precipice that whatever you say to them, they just won't listen. There is nothing much we can do for such people except to ask the Lord to deal with their pride and arrogance but we can place some markers along the way for the rest of us so that we don't go over that precipice.
Here are 4 markers:
(1) Don't defend yourself, your ministry or your church against criticism. If the criticism is false, it can do no harm. If it is true, you need to hear it and do something about it.
(2) Don't be caught up with your past success. Be concern instead for future success. Your ability to listen to correction will give to you your preferred future in a far better package!
(3) When corrected, do not be overly disturbed by the source. The substance of the correction is more important than the source. You don't have to evaluate whether the correction comes from a friend or an enemy. Often, a correction from an enemy is better because he is not influenced by sympathy towards you.
(4) Keep your heart open to the correction of the Lord regardless of who holds the whip. The great saints of old all learnt to take a whipping gracefully - and that may be the reason why they were great saints!
Prayer
Dear Lord, whom You love, You discipline. Give me the grace to humbly accept correction so that I will always see Your hand of favour in my future.
It is not hard to understand why an old king, especially if he were a foolish one, would feel he is beyond admonition. After he had for years given orders, he probably came to the place in his life where he could not take advise from others anymore. His word has long been the law, and so to him other people's words no longer mattered, especially if they were contrary to his wants and his wishes. So he now thinks there can be no one wise enough or good enough to criticize him; he was above everyone else.
The state of heart that rejected admonition was characterized by Israel at various periods in her history, and these periods were followed by judgment. When Jesus came to the Jews he found them full of arrogance and self-sufficiency; so much so they would not accept correction. "We are the seeds of Abraham," they said to him coldly when he talked to them about their sins. The common people heard him and repented, but the Jewish priests had ruled the temple for too long to be willing to surrender their lofty positions. Like the old king, they had gotten accustomed to be right all the time. To correct them was to insult them. They were already too smart; too high up there. They were beyond correction.
Application
We can fall into the same trap. After a time of success and growth and maturing comes the deadly psychology of self-congratulation. Then success itself becomes the cause of future failure. We become arrogant. We get high-handed. We think our success is proof enough that we are above reproof. Who are you to tell me what to do when I am more successful, and more able than you? I am 'the seed of Abraham.' And who would dare find fault with the elite seed of Abraham?
Sometimes people can get so far over the precipice that whatever you say to them, they just won't listen. There is nothing much we can do for such people except to ask the Lord to deal with their pride and arrogance but we can place some markers along the way for the rest of us so that we don't go over that precipice.
Here are 4 markers:
(1) Don't defend yourself, your ministry or your church against criticism. If the criticism is false, it can do no harm. If it is true, you need to hear it and do something about it.
(2) Don't be caught up with your past success. Be concern instead for future success. Your ability to listen to correction will give to you your preferred future in a far better package!
(3) When corrected, do not be overly disturbed by the source. The substance of the correction is more important than the source. You don't have to evaluate whether the correction comes from a friend or an enemy. Often, a correction from an enemy is better because he is not influenced by sympathy towards you.
(4) Keep your heart open to the correction of the Lord regardless of who holds the whip. The great saints of old all learnt to take a whipping gracefully - and that may be the reason why they were great saints!
Prayer
Dear Lord, whom You love, You discipline. Give me the grace to humbly accept correction so that I will always see Your hand of favour in my future.
