Jack looked at his test corrections and sank. There was more red on the paper than either black or white. In disgust, he crumpled it and threw it far. I quit quickly rose to his lips, but he shut those words down before they came out. Torn between anger and the desire to improve he felt like he was being split in half. Correction hurts. Have you discovered the joy in being wrong? It is powerful when you become an unshakable student of life but it requires a humble heart.
It’s easy when your boss says, “Atta girl!” or your husband greets you at the door with “You are the best wife and mom on the planet!” It’s much harder to hear, “I really didn’t need you to say that. I already know that I’ve got work to do.” When we miss a deadline or completely forget a commitment, there lies an opportunity. When we let someone down with our words, there lies an opportunity. I like to call these red pen moments. These are times in life that require editing.
Do you know the best editor of all? Jesus Christ. It’s no mistake that His words are written in red. I’m reminded of His blood sacrifice as I study those precious red words and I am also corrected as I abide in them. Let me encourage you to learn to enjoy the correction. It’s those red pen moments that make us more like Jesus.
No matter who is giving the correction, as Christians we want to always pray, “Father, what would you have me know about this?” Then, and only then, do you become a true disciple. Picture yourself sitting on the steps of the Temple listening to the Teacher. Are you really going to crumple the notes? Challenge for the week: practice having an eager anticipation to learn from Christ in one red pen moment this week!
- “The words of the wise are like cattle prods- painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.” (Ecclesiates 12:11, NLT)
- “So Jesus explained, ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19, NLT)
