Listen and Learn

Read Proverbs 9:1-18

1. Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns.
2. She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table.
3. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
4. “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says,
5. “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed.
6. Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”
7. Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
8. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.
9. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.
10. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Proverbs 9:1-10

Columnists tell what’s right and wrong with society. Theater critics explain who performed well and who faltered. Literary critics pronounce what’s worth reading and what’s not. Others, such as friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow drivers, give personal criticism in the many areas of life.

Proverbs 9 includes several principles regarding how to respond—or not respond—to criticism. As you read, be sure to notice the difference between being a wise person and a “mocker.”

Other lessons here include how to tell the difference between wisdom and carelessness, and good reasons for avoiding prostitutes.

Are you a wise person or a “mocker”? You can tell by the way you respond to criticism (Proverbs 9:7-10). For instance, how do you normally respond to these situations? A relative rebukes you for something relatively insignificant that you did a while back; a coworker questions your judgment on a project; your spouse critiques your attire; your kids demand that you spend more time with them. Do you toss back a quick put-down or clever retort? Or do you listen to what is being said? A wise person learns from rebukes and criticism (Proverbs 9:8-9).

Instead of dismissing every critique of your behavior, try to see each from the critic’s perspective. Search their words for ways you can improve yourself. Look for lessons in what they have to say and do not mock them. It bears repeating: How you respond to criticism tells a lot about you. A wise person accepts it and tries to learn from it. An unwise person throws it back. Don’t be unwise.