Proverbs 12:1 

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Have you ever heard it said of a person, “You just can’t tell them anything!”?  Or “They never listen!”? There are people who refuse to hear. Their minds are made up. Their ways are always right. Don’t dare suggest they might be wrong. This attitude is a neon sign of pride! 

Our passage today says, “he who hates reproof is stupid.” The word translated “stupid” is from the Hebrew “to graze.” The writer likens the person who hates correction to brute beasts. In Psalm 73, Asaph admitted, “I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you” (Ps. 73:22 NIV). There have been and will be times in our lives when each of us can echo Asaph’s confession. 

Harry Truman said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” So, for all those who “know it all,” there is still a lot of learning to do. When you desire obedience, you will love attaining knowledge even when the truth hurts and demands a change in your life. 

Father, keep me open to reproof. Break through my defenses. Knock down the fortresses that guard my proud heart. Help me embrace correction even when it hurts. By your Spirit, continue to grow my love for discipline and obedience.

In Christ’s name.

Amen.