Correctee: No Prideful Deflections
Now, note Moses’ remarkably humble response: “So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said” (Exodus 18:24).
Moses didn’t bristle defensively at Jethro. He didn’t brush him off as an outsider who didn’t understand the organization. He didn’t try to save face by lying and saying that he’d been thinking about doing that very thing himself. And he didn’t pull spiritual rank on Jethro by reminding him who of the two of them heard directly from God more.
No. Moses gratefully received and immediately implemented Jethro’s counsel.
Correctee: In Correction, Listen for God’s Direction
Even though Moses frequently received immediate verbal direction from God, he was not narrow in his understanding of how God speaks and directs. Since God ruled everything, he could just as easily direct him through a father-in-law as from a cloud.
If God used Jethro’s correction to direct Moses to greater effectiveness, how much more should we be humbly listening for God’s direction in the correction of those he sends to us?
Correctee: Correction Is a Gift, and Not Only for You
Jethro’s correction wasn’t just God’s provision for Moses, it was also God’s provision for the needs of thousands of people. When God brings correction to us through the loving observation of someone else, it’s a gift, but not only for us. It’s often for many others as well. If we pridefully resist correction, we are likely plugging up a channel of grace to others. There’s more at stake in our humility than we realize.
Summary
So to sum up the lessons from the Exodus 18 Correction Clinic:
When giving correction:
- Ask clarifying questions to gain a more accurate understanding. Don’t assume.
- Be graciously frank. Don’t hint or overqualify. Just say what you see with the humility that you might not be seeing perfectly.
- Undergird, don’t undermine. Construct, don’t destruct. Be a strength by helping to find a solution that pursues the good of everyone involved.
When receiving correction:
- No prideful deflections. If the correction is needed, humbly receive it.
- Listen for God’s direction. God likes to lead us in ways that cultivate our humility.
- Correction is a gift, and not only for you. Your correction may also be someone else’s provision.
Correction is a form of the Lord’s discipline. And Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” May the Lord help us love knowledge today.
