Proverbs 9:7-8 (NLT)
“[7] Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get a smart retort. Anyone who rebukes the wicked will get hurt. [8] So don’t bother rebuking mockers; they will only hate you. But the wise, when rebuked, will love you all the more.”

Mocker or Maker?

No one enjoys criticism, but your response to it is the ultimate indicator of your spiritual age. This Proverb identifies a “mocker” as one who deflects or fiercely rejects correction. A mocker is so fragile that they see every rebuke as an assault, missing the lesson entirely while seeking to harm the one trying to help them.
In contrast, the wise person is identified by their willingness to hear, receive, and act meaningfully upon a rebuke. If you are character-centered and Christ-centered, you aren’t destroyed by correction because your significance and security are rooted in His love, not your performance. This allows you to value the criticism without feeling attacked. When the correction adds value to your life, you don’t feel “hurt”—you feel loved by the one who took the time to help you grow.

The Practice:

Mastering the Rebuke

1. Look Past the Sting
A rebuke stings at first, but you must choose to look for the value and the truth hidden within it. Do not allow your emotions to cloud your judgment. Remember: No one ever improved by receiving only praise. Praise may comfort you, but only correction can calibrate you.
2. Focus on the Principle, Not the Person
It’s not about the “lashing”; it’s about the lesson. Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that no one likes discipline while it is happening, but for those who are trained by it, it produces a harvest of righteousness. When you have to deliver a rebuke, do it with the goal of correcting the issue with the least amount of damage to the individual as possible. Focus on the “What,” not the “Who.”
#### 3. Mute the Emotions and Grow Up
To advance to the next stage God is orchestrating, you must learn to hear His voice over your own feelings. Feelings are often the “loudest” when we are being corrected, but they are the least reliable. Mute your emotions so you can hear the necessary instructions for your advancement.
4. Discern Your Audience
Be sensitive to who you are talking to. Are you trying to correct a Mocker or a Maker? A mocker will give you a “smart retort” and a heart full of hate. But a “Maker” takes the criticism and makes the best of it! Before you speak, discern if the soil of their heart is ready for the seed of correction.

Today’s Declaration:

“I am resigning from the ‘Mocker’s Chair’ today! I refuse to be defensive or fragile when I am corrected. I am choosing to be a ‘Maker’ who takes every rebuke and uses it as raw material for my growth. I am muting my emotions, focusing on the lesson, and trusting that God uses correction to prepare me for my next level. I am wise, I am coachable, and I am growing!”

A mocker wants to be ‘right,’ but a wise person wants to be ‘better.’ Today is a great day to make a Fresh Start!
God bless,
+Pastor Kris