Recently, I have decided that it would be a good idea to work through the book of Proverbs. I am in a bit of a conflicting season in my life so I figured reading about the differences between the wise and the foolish would help motivate me to behave like the woman God designed me to be.
I would like to share my findings in Proverbs 12 because, this morning, God spoke strongly to my heart about something I struggle with. Proverbs 12:1 states that, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid". A kind of laughed at the straightforwardness of the verse because it caught me off guard. Not only is it the first verse of the chapter, but using such an adjective as "stupid" seems a bit harsh. I guess that means Solomon refused to dance around the subject.
This verse really hit me because I am afraid of failure. It paralyzes me from discovering the potential God placed within me. I struggle with it almost every day and I didn't realize how much if affected me until I read that verse and the rest of Chapter 12. It wraps around my lungs and prevents me from breathing. It scrambles my mind so much that I just want to shut it off instead of dealing with it. It is suffocating sometimes.
Being afraid of something that hasn't even happened yet is kind of silly. Why worry about it if you can't do anything about it? I guess you can try not to fail, but some sort of failure is inevitable. And that is a good thing. So often others as well as myself struggle with recognizing that failure can be a good thing. Even if the failure hurts, or is embarrassing, or breaks your heart, God will be there to be your rock and your stronghold (Psalm 27:1).
I appreciate that discouraging people from being afraid of failure is the first verse of this chapter because it really emphasizes that doing this can stunt your growth completely and snowball into inevitable demise. Cotton gets stuffed in your ears and you refuse to accept any ideal that goes against your own understanding. Pride becomes an idol in your heart (Proverbs 12:15) and keeps you chained to YOUR way instead of the life God designed for you. This verse was a wake up call and I am thankful that God put it in my heart.
I have to remember that God feeds the birds everyday, so what reason does He have not to take care of all of us? (Luke 12:22-26) God will take care of each and every one of us, all we have to do is continue to trust in Him and He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3-6).
I know that sometimes I am afraid of correction because I do not want to look like a bad person, a bad student, or a bad employee. But listening to correction will help all of us grow and discover our potential in Christ. We have to remember that everything that God does is for the betterment of us.
So, I wanted to ask you all to write down some of the things that are holding you back from actually growing as a man or woman of God. This could be possible failures you might endure on your journey or certain fears that stop you from growing. Write that list down and ask God to help you push through them, to face them head on with the courage and peace God placed in your heart. Then, write next to each one of the items on your list why you don't have to avoid them or be afraid of them.
Let me know what you guys come up with :)
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