“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

— Proverbs 9:9

Most of us appreciate the idea of becoming wiser, but we are not always comfortable with the process through which wisdom develops.

We welcome encouragement, value recognition and enjoy discovering that our judgement has proved correct. Yet when somebody questions our understanding or suggests that we have made a mistake, our response can be considerably less enthusiastic.

Even constructive criticism may awaken an uncomfortable desire to defend ourselves.

We begin explaining our intentions, justifying our decisions or searching for reasons why the other person has misunderstood the situation.

Sometimes we do this before giving serious consideration to whether their observations might contain something valuable.

Proverbs reminds us that genuine wisdom is not demonstrated by how much we already know, but by our continuing willingness to learn.

The Difference Between Knowledge and Wisdom

Knowledge and wisdom are closely connected, but they are not identical.

Knowledge concerns what we understand. Wisdom involves recognising how that understanding should influence our conduct.

A person may possess considerable experience and still respond poorly when their judgement is questioned.

Another may have relatively little experience but demonstrate remarkable maturity through their willingness to listen, consider and learn.

The writer of Proverbs makes an important distinction between those who welcome instruction and those who reject correction.

The wise person does not regard additional learning as evidence of previous inadequacy.

Instead, instruction becomes an opportunity for further development.

This requires a particular form of humility: the recognition that our understanding will always remain incomplete.

When Pride Becomes an Obstacle

Pride is not always expressed through arrogance or an obvious sense of superiority.

Sometimes it appears in more subtle ways.

We become uncomfortable when somebody younger offers advice. We dismiss an observation because it comes from a person whose judgement we do not particularly respect.

We may even recognise that a criticism is justified while remaining unwilling to acknowledge it openly.

The difficulty is not necessarily that we believe ourselves perfect.

Rather, we have allowed our sense of personal worth to become too closely connected with appearing competent, knowledgeable or correct.

Consequently, correction feels like a threat rather than an opportunity.

Yet Christian maturity requires us to separate our value before God from our desire to protect our reputation.

Acknowledging a mistake does not diminish our worth. It demonstrates that truth matters more than appearances.

Learning to Recognise Valuable Correction

Of course, not every criticism is accurate.

People can misunderstand our intentions, overlook important circumstances or offer advice influenced by their own preferences.

Wisdom does not require us to accept every opinion without examination.

It requires us to consider what has been said without allowing our immediate emotional response to determine our judgement.

Sometimes the manner in which correction is offered may be unnecessarily harsh.

Nevertheless, poor delivery does not automatically make an observation incorrect.

Equally, advice expressed confidently is not necessarily wise.

Discernment involves considering the substance of what we hear, measuring it against Scripture and examining whether it reveals something we need to address.

This approach allows us to remain teachable without becoming dependent upon the approval of others.

The Practical Discipline of Listening

Becoming more receptive to instruction begins with ordinary decisions.

When somebody challenges our understanding, we can resist the immediate temptation to defend ourselves.

Instead, we might ask what has led them to their conclusion.

We can consider whether we have overlooked something important or whether our response has been influenced by pride, fear or embarrassment.

Occasionally, the most valuable words we can speak are an acknowledgement that somebody else has recognised something we failed to see.

This does not always come naturally.

However, the more frequently we practise humility, the less threatening correction becomes.

We gradually discover that admitting uncertainty can strengthen relationships rather than weaken them.

Allowing God to Continue His Work

There is also a spiritual dimension to remaining teachable.

God’s work within us does not end when we first recognise His truth.

Discipleship involves continuing growth, including the uncomfortable discovery that certain attitudes, habits or assumptions require change.

Scripture provides instruction, prayer encourages honest examination, and other people may sometimes help us recognise weaknesses we would otherwise overlook.

Christ provides the example of perfect obedience and humility.

Following Him therefore requires more than defending the beliefs we already hold. It requires allowing those beliefs to shape our conduct, particularly when doing so exposes something within ourselves that needs correcting.

A Heart That Remains Open

The danger of becoming resistant to correction is that we may gradually stop growing while continuing to believe that our understanding is sufficient.

Experience can become a source of wisdom, but only when accompanied by reflection and a willingness to learn.

For the ordered soul, humility is not the denial of our abilities or experience. It is the recognition that whatever we have learned, there remains more for God to teach us.

Perhaps today somebody will challenge our judgement, question our approach or draw attention to something we would rather overlook.

Our response may reveal considerably more about our spiritual maturity than the original issue.

Wisdom does not require us to have reached the point where we no longer need correction. It requires us to remain willing to receive the truth, even when that truth challenges the person we believe ourselves to be.

A heart that remains teachable is a heart in which God can continue His work.

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