The ear that heeds wholesome admonition will lodge among the wise. Proverbs 15:31 NRSVUE
Wholesome admonition. To me, a wholesome admonition is a correction intended to redirect us toward what is right. We don’t have to accept every word spoken about us. However, when someone loves us enough to tell us the truth we don’t want to hear, that kind of admonition helps us develop.
Wholesome admonition says, “Something here needs your attention, and it’s something that will help you grow.”
Wholesome Admonition
Heeding means allowing what we’ve heard to influence our lives. It may mean apologizing, changing a habit, or having a difficult conversation. Maybe it means seeking forgiveness, setting a healthier boundary, asking for help, or changing the way we speak. Or simply admitting, “I was wrong.”
When we heed wholesome admonition, wisdom begins to shape our character. We become less interested in proving ourselves right and more interested in becoming who God is calling us to be. Heeding allows correction to refine, protect, and mature us. And it can make us more loving, more discerning, more humble, and more useful in God’s hands.
A Prayer For Ears That Heed
Lord, God Almighty, please give me ears that heed. Help me recognize correction that leads toward wisdom. Protect me from pride and defensiveness. When someone speaks a truth that I need to hear, give me the humility to receive it. Lord, show me the places in my life where I have become resistant to change. Give me discernment to recognize wholesome admonition, and courage to act upon it.
Father, teach me to see correction as an opportunity for growth. And when I am wrong, give me the grace to admit it, the humility to repent, and the wisdom to choose a different path. May I become the kind of person willing to heed Your truth. And may I become a dwelling place for wisdom. Amen.
*For those of you who prayer walk, ponder the phrase ‘wholesome admonition’ as you walk. Pray about what the Holy Spirit reveals to you. For your copy of this week’s screensaver, click here. And to access all of my YouVersion Bible App devotional plans, click here.