Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you.
But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. Proverbs 9: 7-9
I’ve never been one to shy away from the yearly performance evaluation. If it’s done with the right intent, then it is actually helpful and allows you to improve your weak areas. The key is if it’s done with the right intent.
Correction. I’m not sure what comes to mind when you hear that word. Perhaps it brings back memories as a child at home or at your school. Or maybe it’s the supervisor losing it on you. Depending on what you experienced in life when it came to correction, you have probably formed your own definition. If you have negative feelings towards correction, then you may have confused it with punishment, or worse…abuse. Correction is neither punishment nor abuse.
The sole purpose of correction is to bring something into proper alignment. It’s about fostering health in a person’s character, shaping them to be the person God intended them to be. Correction never demeans, belittles, denigrates, or maligns. Correction believes the best about the person and in fact, desires the best for that person.
Solomon calls the wise to be selective in who they correct. In other words, if a person is known as one who cannot receive correction without being offended, hurt, or angered, then Solomon says to not bother. It’s better to correct the wise and righteous person. Why? They will actually listen, apply what they have learned, and become the better person for it. They are the ones who will be an influential and positive force to be reckoned with in our world.
If your next performance evaluation comes with a bit of correction, before you take offense and sulk and complain to others about your ‘jerk boss’, pause for a moment and consider the intent behind it. If the intent was coming from a heart that believes the best about you, then take a few seconds to thank your supervisor for the correction. Seriously…do it!
Finding Beautiful 