Discipline-lovers and Stupid people . . . Proverbs 12:1

  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.   Proverbs 12:1

I've grown up being taught that the word stupid is not a very nice word.  It is one that my parents encouraged me to avoid.  So when the living God refers to someone as "stupid" it is a verse that catches my attention.  What is it that makes God call someone stupid?

The stupid man is the one who hates to be reproved and corrected.  He bristles when someone offers rebuke.  He does not like it when someone corrects him when he is wrong.  This is what makes him stupid, because by nature we are fallen - and by nature we are born ignorant.  The only way to remedy this situation is for us to be corrected by God and corrected by others.  Any discipline in life is to turn us from the wrong and toward the right.  Those who love us discipline us, because they know that such discipline directs us away from wickedness and toward righteousness.  Discipline by its very nature is not pleasant - and that is why the Lord doesn't tell us that we always have to be happy about it.  But when we move from finding it unpleasant but necessary - to - hating it and despising those who offer it - then we move to dangerous territory.  Wisdom has us embrace discipline and reproof.  Proverbs tells us that this is the way of life - the way things work - and the way to move from foolish actions to wise ones. 

We are told here to love discipline.  To appreciate it for what it is - instruction that keeps us from problems - keeps us from ungodly patterns and habits in our lives.  Those patterns and habits yield destruction and death.  Thus we need to learn to embrace discipline because when we learn from it - we receive what Hebrews calls, 'The peacable fruit of righteousness."  We learn what is right and we hold fast what is right when we learn from correction.  Otherwise we just become entrenched in our wrong - in error - and in ways that are displeasing to the Lord. 

Stupid is not a great word to use every day - or a good name to call someone.  Yet, God in His wisdom lets us know that when we hate the correction and reproof that will lead us to a godly life - we are being nothing less than stupid!