In many versions of the Bible today, the words of Jesus are printed in red. Many of these words are teachings and commands that we are to follow. They tell us how we need to live our lives in a way that will be pleasing and acceptable to Him. Now some of these teachings are hard – hard enough that they may require some changes on our part.
Generally, there are two reactions to correction: 1) A heart is soft and yielding to the correction and willing to change, or 2) A heart “sees red” and becomes angry and rebellious to changing. One example of this is found in Jeremiah 36 when the words of the Lord were given to Jeremiah the prophet to write down in a scroll and then be read before Jehoiakim, the king of Judah. When the scroll was read in the presence of the king, the word of God so enraged him that he took a knife and cut up the scroll and then cast it into the fire (v. 23). Not liking God’s Word doesn’t change the truth of it. (Incidentally, God had Jeremiah write the same words down in another scroll [v. 27-28]). His truth cannot be destroyed! When we are confronted with the truth of the Bible and we see that opinions or attitudes or behavior needs to change, what is our response? Do we need to “get out the red pen” so to speak and start marking areas of our life that need correction?
Don’t let words of correction cause you or your children to be angry or disheartened, but rather let them teach and encourage you to be the kind of people God wants you to be.