You’ll Grow If You Listen to Correction

 

Proverbs 15:31–32 (NLT)
“31 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. 32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.”

If I had truly taken this scripture to heart years ago—really grasped the weight of what it’s saying—there’s no telling where I’d be in the Lord right now. The very first words set the tone: “If you listen.” And for many of us, that’s the hurdle. Listening—really listening—is almost a lost art. Those three words remind us that we have a choice. We can receive constructive criticism, or we can shut it out. And let’s be honest: most people shut it out. In today’s culture, anything that doesn’t boost our ego or reinforce the image we’ve built of ourselves gets rejected quickly. Instead of making room for it in our hearts and minds, we push it away. Some of us refuse to even consider that when criticism is helpful, it can strengthen us. It can shape our spiritual growth, shift our perspectives, and help us adjust our attitudes and behaviors for the better.

Correction Comes Before Promotion

None of us are too fond of hearing that we can do things better or that our point of view on certain things isn’t matching reality. Even believers who’ve been walking with the Lord for years wrestle with that kind of truth. Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) reminds us, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” One of the things that will help us digest constructive criticism is to know that when we’re about to move to the next level of growth and blessing, correction is a necessary step. Whenever God is getting ready to elevate us—to stretch us, bless us, and widen our capacity—correction shows up first. It’s one of the ways He lets us know it’s time to release old habits, old mindsets, and old ways of responding so we can make room for blessings that actually fit where He’s taking us next.

Learning to Release What God Never Meant You to Carry

Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” The race God has set before us is lifelong—there’s no finish line on this side of eternity. As long as we’re on this earth, our Heavenly Father instructs us to let go of anything that weighs us down.

The challenge is that we’re not always aware of the things we’re carrying. Some weights feel normal simply because we’ve held them for so long. This is where constructive criticism becomes a gift. It points out the burdens we’ve ignored, avoided, or become blind to, and it directs our hearts toward the path God wants us to take.

Wisdom is a great teacher, but it rarely comes wrapped in comfort. God sends it because He wants us to grow in Christ and become more like Him. And very often, that wisdom comes through correction. Proverbs 9:9 (NLT) tells us, “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” In other words, you’ll grow if you listen to correction—your understanding deepens, your character strengthens, and your walk with God becomes more grounded. The sharpness of criticism usually reveals how important that correction truly is.

When we reject correction, we’re only hurting ourselves. We give off a message—loud and clear—that pride is calling the shots, and pride will always keep us from God’s best. None of us want to be that person. Our Father wants His children to flourish, and one of the ways He prepares us to receive what He has for us is through constructive criticism. It stretches us, shapes us, and positions us to reach further than we could have reached on our own. That’s why listening to correction isn’t just about humility—it’s about stepping into the life God designed for us.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“You’ll Grow If You Listen to Correction”, written for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Our Great Big Wonderful God!

 

Remembering the God We Believe In

It usually starts small. A few restless nights. A nagging ache that won’t go away. Then one thing turns into another—fatigue, discomfort, worry creeping in where peace used to sit. Before long, your body is trying to tell you something isn’t right. So you do what most of us would do. You make an appointment and go see the doctor.

After listening, checking, and asking a few questions, the doctor gives you an answer. There’s relief in finally knowing what’s wrong and even more relief in hearing, “This is treatable. You’re going to be okay.” You walk away grateful—thankful for the knowledge, the care, and the reassurance. Without much thought, you might even say it out loud: Doctors really are wonderful.

And yet, isn’t it interesting how easily we trust that kind of care, but still hesitate when it comes to trusting our Heavenly Father? We celebrate human help quickly, but sometimes question divine goodness slowly. Somewhere along the way, we forget who He is. God is not uncertain. He is not guessing. He is not limited. He is—and always has been—a great big wonderful God.

Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes the downs feel especially heavy. But one truth remains steady: God is always willing and able to help us. When we look at the lives of God’s people in the Old Testament, we see this pattern clearly. Again and again, they struggled to remain obedient. God’s desire was never control—it was protection. He wanted to bless them, keep them safe, and walk closely with them.

When God’s People Wander

Still, they often turned away. God warned them not to worship false gods, knowing where that path would lead, but they didn’t listen. Judges 2:11–13 (NLT) tells us, “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.”

The God Who Steps In Again

And yet—this is where God’s goodness shines—He did not abandon them. Just as He had done many times before, God forgave His people and stepped in to help them again. He raised up leaders and judges to guide them back to safety and truth. Judges 2:18 (NLT) says, “Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.”

This is the heart of our great big wonderful God. Even when His people failed, He remained faithful. Even when they wandered, He responded with mercy. God didn’t help them because they earned it—He helped them because mercy and faithfulness are part of His nature. He does not stop being God, even when His people fall short.

When Our Souls Need Care

It’s important for us to carry real gratitude for how patient our Heavenly Father is with us. The truth is, some of us need spiritual care more than we’d like to admit. Our souls grow weak when we stop feeding them a steady diet of God’s Word. Little by little, unhealthy thoughts, disobedience, and old habits start taking up space. But God is never caught off guard by any of it. He sees what’s going on beneath the surface, and through His Spirit, He knows exactly what needs healing and what needs to change.

God never asks us to heal ourselves or get everything right before coming to Him. He simply asks us to come. Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love” (Psalm 103:8, NLT). This is the heart of our great big wonderful God—patient when we are weak, gentle when we are worn, and faithful even when we struggle. We don’t have to hide our flaws or pretend we’re fine. We can bring our tired souls, our missteps, and our need for care to a Father who knows how to tend the heart. And as He feeds us with His truth and walks with us in love, we don’t just get through life—we are restored by the goodness of the God who never stops reaching for us. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Our Great Big Wonderful God!”, written for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Don’t Let Him Pick You Apart!

 

I bet just about every woman knows the verse in Philippians 4:6(NLT). It tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” Look at how simple Heavenly Father has made this for us. First, He tells us what not to do, then He tells us exactly what to do in order to restore His peace in our lives. We shouldn’t worry about anything because worry isn’t the nature of a believer. Faith and gratitude are our nature, and anything outside of those two doesn’t tell the truth about the goodness of God. Many of us know this, but we let worry and doubt get the best of us anyway. We’ve got to stop giving over our power and authority in Christ this way. We can’t allow the devil to pick us apart, especially now.

I’ve heard many women that are believers speak about the incredible circumstances and situations that God has brought them through. From marital abandonment and financial ruin to domestic violence and abuse, they’ve dealt with it all and some of them did so with darts flying from all angles. As soon as they felt some degree of ease about one thing, two or three other situations came out of nowhere. They felt like throwing in the towel, but they didn’t. One of the common threads in their testimonies of overcoming incredibly painful situations is the lesson they learned about anxiety and doubt. They wasted a lot of time worrying about whether God would come through or if He’d allow them to fall through the cracks. He always delivers on His promises and in the end, He rescued them from darkness and despair.

We all know the grips of that sinking feeling. It brings you so low that you can’t even define the depth. Every part of you feels upset and bothered, and nothing—no thought or feeling, seems to bring comfort. In our darkest moments, we know God’s healing power, and we also know that He’s commanded us not to worry, but we make ourselves sick with worry any way. No matter how many times our friends, loved ones, and spiritual mentors tell us to give it to Jesus, we vacillate back and forth, giving our burdens to him one minute and taking them back the next.

As God’s children, we can learn a lot about having a constancy of faith by the pattern of good parenting that many of us have demonstrated to our own biological children. We love our children and will do anything for them. We must remember that God is the One who has given us the heart and mind for parenting. We didn’t come up with it on our own. We love our kids because He first loved us. Not only has He shown us real and genuine love through Jesus Christ by giving him as a sacrifice for the sins of all people, but God created us with the capacity to respond to each other with His love. We are made in His image, and we understand that His love is the force that propels us forward.

As good parents, we would never harm our kids but will do everything in our power to protect them. To make sure their well-being is preserved, we would move heaven and earth if we could. God’s love is infinitely higher than the love that any of us can give. In Isaiah 55:9(NLT), He said of Himself, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God loves us more than we can ever imagine. Our thoughts can’t think that high. It’s a deep, unconditional and abiding love, and nothing can separate us from it. No one can love like He loves. To get a glimpse of how He views our worry and doubt, consider the thought of your biological child sitting somewhere, feeling scared, and worrying that you have refused to take care of them or that you won’t do it for some reason. This would hurt you to the core. Imagine how God feels when we don’t trust Him to take care of us.

All good relationships are built on individuals responding honestly, compassionately, thoughtfully, and lovingly to one another. God set relationships up to operate this way. These responses build faith and trust, and without faith and trust, a relationship will collapse or be injured. You and I are here on this earth to build an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of life! Jesus Christ tells us that he is the door to the Father. We must have the faith of Jesus Christ to please God. Faith and believing in Him is how we respond to His overwhelming love.

Fear is a cloak of deception that the devil tries to pull off as being real. It is a false evidence of reality, and worry is a sign that we have bought into the lie. We can’t let the devil continue to pick us apart with his tactics and tricks. Let’s resist his plots by doing as Philippians 4:6 says and get really specific in our prayers. We have the authority of Jesus Christ to plead his blood over situations and circumstances. Colossians 1:13 tells us that his blood cleansed our sins, and through the blood of Jesus Christ, God has delivered us from the power of satan’s darkness and transferred us to his Kingdom. We don’t belong to worry and doubt, and we should never claim them.

Yes, it takes time to develop the habit pattern of choosing faith and not fear, but God tells us how to strengthen the muscle. He said, “Thank him for all he has done.” This is a strategy for Godly living. A person can’t be thankful and fearful at the same time. To keep fear from rising up and overtaking our hearts, Heavenly Father commands us to think of His goodness, and do it continually. This is how we constantly hit the “ON” button of faith. Philippians 4:6(NLT) tells us that as we practice thankfulness and gratitude to God, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

God doesn’t leave our relationship with Him to chance. He tells us exactly how to respond to Him, and to do it in a way that causes Him delight. Our obedience and commitment to respond to God with faith and gratitude will invite the indwelling Holy Spirit to saturate us with God’s peace. This peace guards our hearts and minds, but we must live in Christ. This means we must do our part, and Philippians 4:8(NLT) tells us exactly what that part is. It says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” We can change the way we handle obstacles and adversity by resisting the urge to respond to what the devil is trying to do, instead, we can respond to the goodness of God, be thankful and abide in His perfect peace. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Don’t Let Him Pick You Apart!”, written for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.