Bob Kauflin who maintains a blog entitled Worship Matters wrote a great post on Proverbs 12:1 ~ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Below are his words about how he personally cultivates a love for reproof:
1. Pray for reproof. That’s right. Ask God to bring
people into your life who will point out where you’re making mistakes,
sinning, or could do things better.
2. Expect reproof. Be
on the lookout for it. I find that when I’m surprised by critical
feedback from others, it’s usually because I’m looking for their praise.
3. Ask others for input. That’s
why we hand out evaluation forms at the conferences. We read every one
of them. They have been invaluable each year for making the next
conference better. It’s best to ask people for input when they have
time enough to think about it, and are convinced that you really want
to hear it.
4. Thank people for reproof. It’s
rarely easy to reprove someone else. When a friend approaches me and
says they want to share something with me (and I don’t get the feeling
it’s encouragement), I want to make sure I thank them for caring enough
to give me input, whether I agree with them at the moment or not.
5. Ask questions about reproof. Oftentimes,
people don’t say everything they’re thinking. Ask them to elaborate,
expand upon, or fill out what they’re saying. It will help you hear it
more clearly and respond more humbly.
6. Thank God for reproof. Every
critic is a gift from God. God is the one who enables others to
overcome their fears and tell us what we need to hear. What an evidence
of God’s kindness!
