I Was Wrong

He who heeds discipline, shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Proverbs 10:17

The past couple of days I have been running on fumes. I had to wake up early two days ago to bring my brother to the airport, and then that night I went to bed later than usual. This was unwise of me, and because I was sleep deprived my mood was affected. I became cranky and irritable. Instead of resisting these negative emotions, I let them surface and I acted rudely to my wife and her cousin. My wife, Lou, confronted me about it and at first I was defensive, but soon I realized I was wrong. I then apologized to Lou and Lynette.

In this instance, I heeded discipline. This brought me back on track. Our response to rebuke can influence others as well. The Scripture says that when we listen to correction we show others the way to life, and when we ignore discipline, we lead others astray.

All of us fall at times. We all sin. The important thing is that we learn to bounce back. This means we will have to confess our sin to the Lord, and in many cases it will mean that we have to apologize to those who were involved.

When God corrects us - either directly or through a person - let's be quick to repent. God will forgive us. When we learn to humble ourselves in this way, we point others toward our Heavenly Father's way of doing things. When we turn back to the Lord, we can once again enjoy sweet fellowship with Him, and, if needed, God can bring us back into harmony with others.