“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” — Proverbs 12:1

Around 12:30 a.m. on Christmas morning of last year, after my boys had finally fallen asleep, I started putting together a see-saw they were going to receive on Christmas morning. Being the “smart guy” that I am, I decided that I didn’t need any instructions. Around 1:45 a.m. I realized I did. That was a very tiring lesson to learn, but it taught me not to be so prideful.

I am a big fan of Bill Parcells and Mike Krzyzewski. I know that is an odd couple, but I believe they share some of the same characteristics. They are teachers and make their players follow their instructions. This always breeds success for their teams because they listen and learn.

I thought about King David as I read this proverb. In 2 Samuel 11 we see that he lusted and acted in sin with Bathsheba, then masterminded a murder to cover his sins. Then, in 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan arrived and confronted him with his sin. David could have had Nathan killed for confronting him. Instead, he took Nathan’s instruction.

How would you have reacted in the same situation? I hope we would all desire to act the way David did. Let’s bury our pride and use every situation as a chance to learn. That is what the one who loves instruction would do.

— Steven Stinson

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