"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning." - Proverbs 9:7-9
I struggle with the desire to argue with people when they "mock" me, especially when it involves my faith. I take it personally and feel I have to prove them wrong, so I quickly jump to my Bible to quote scripture and engage the argument further. Even as a child/young adult, I enjoyed arguing so much that at one point in my life I thought I was going to be a lawyer. As I was studying Proverbs last night, this verse really spoke to me because of a situation I encountered 24 hours prior. I never cease to be amazed at how the Lord will direct me and challenge me when I face issues in my life. It is simply amazing to me that I can deal with something one day, only to read the scriptures the next about how I should have reacted in a certain situation.
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse." This is so very true. I have never had an arguement in this manner that did not end in me being insulted or verbally abused. I am usually brought to tears and drag my poor husband into the mess, who I am sure is tired of the drama I bring upon myself. I open the doors to this insult and abuse when I choose to correct the mocker. What an eye opener for me this was. It makes absolute perfect sense, however, that a wise man would welcome correction and rebuke. A wise man/woman seeks truth and wisdom and is disciplined and humble enough to accept another's loving correction because they are not threatened by the person with the wisdom. They see that person as a deliverer of the truth.
Lessons learned:
Ignore mockers or those who wish to stir up the pot. It never ends peacefully and you are only bringing insult upon yourself. You don't need to correct them or fight God's battles, God can handle it.
Seek to be the wise person who welcomes proper correction and rebuke from others.
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