In Proverbs, chapter twelve, verse one, we sometimes need loving reproof and correction. A proud person hates to be corrected, but a humble person will honestly receive loving criticism and profit from it. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction,” as in Proverbs one, verse seven. The people who receive godly rebuke are the ones who grow in the Lord. There are two ways: either consistently or persistently praying to the Lord, reading and studying God’s Word, saints asking the Holy Spirit to help to know Him because He is a person. However, if believers are not routinely practicing these godly gifts, then the option is for God to present others to give a word to those who will humbly receive it. The Lord knows the hearts and minds of those who serve Him, and there will be times when He will give a word to someone for somebody to draw their attention.
Although a humble person invites to receive correction, a proud person hates to be corrected. Anyone in this condition will hear but not listen. They think they are okay and will not recognize their flaws. “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life, as in Proverbs six, verse twenty-three. Some people will learn through God’s Word and change their ways, while others will not and refuse to give in. A sample of a brutish person is a mindless individual and, at the same time, can be devilish. These are the people who live ungodly and reject the godly compassion of God’s people and His Word. How do people become evil? By rejecting reproof and living as though they are doing right while they see everyone wrong.