June 7 – Proverbs 13 -15

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Proverbs 13 - 15. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

This is a hard lesson to learn … “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:31-31 NLT). This is a hard lesson to learn because when we hear the term criticism we immediately think negative thoughts. Merriam Webster dictionary defines criticism as “the act of criticizing usually unfavorably” or “a critical observation or remark.” We hear criticism and we think negative because criticism isn’t something easy to hear and may even be the cause of some personal pain.

But when you pair it with the word constructive criticism it changes the entire meaning … well sort of. The criticism is still possibly hurtful and painful, but it is given not to harm but to build up. Building up is what we think of when we hear the term constructive. A construction worker builds homes, business, and buildings. So while criticism may be hard to hear and process, analyze if it is constructive or not. If it is, learn from it because hopefully it was coming from someone who wanted to build you up and make you a better person. Read the proverb again and take those words to heart.

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