Wednesday: Keep a Heart That Can Be Corrected

By SeeMyChurch Editorial · Tuesday, 13 October 2026 · 4 min read

Correction rarely arrives at a convenient moment. It may come when we are tired, certain we are right or already disappointed with ourselves. Our first response can be to explain, defend or change the subject. Yet a life that cannot receive correction has very little room left to grow.

Pastor Dolapo Lawal’s Christian Faith Is Better raises the need for repentance and a changed response to wrongdoing. This original study develops that theme through a practical question: how can we remain open to correction without living under constant shame?

Distinguish conviction from despair

Read 2 Corinthians 7:9–11. Paul describes sorrow that leads somewhere constructive. The purpose is not endless self-punishment. A truthful recognition of wrong can lead to a changed mind, a repaired relationship and a different course of action.

Shame often turns a specific failure into a verdict on the whole person. It says there is no point trying again. Healthy correction identifies what needs attention and makes a response possible. Christians can take sin seriously while also remembering that forgiveness and restoration are central to the gospel.

For example, admitting that you spoke cruelly is more useful than deciding you are simply a terrible person. The first statement creates a responsibility: apologise, listen and change the pattern. The second may sound severe, but it can leave the harmed person waiting while you remain absorbed in your own distress.

Let Scripture examine your explanation

We are skilled at finding reasons for our behaviour. Sometimes those reasons explain genuine pressure. They do not always justify the response. Being tired may explain impatience; it does not make a hurtful remark harmless. Being anxious may explain dishonesty; it does not remove the need to tell the truth.

Choose one recent situation you keep defending in your mind. Describe it plainly, including your own actions. Then ask what a relevant passage of Scripture invites you to do. You might consider James 1:19–22 on listening, anger and putting the word into practice.

Keep the exercise specific. You are not being asked to expose private details publicly or accept accusations that are untrue. Seek wise support where a relationship is unsafe or the facts are disputed. Humility and appropriate boundaries can exist together.

Make repentance practical

A changed mind should eventually affect a decision. If an apology is needed, avoid adding an argument that cancels it. State what you did, acknowledge its effect and explain what you will change. The other person may need time; reconciliation cannot be demanded as proof that your apology worked.

It may also be necessary to change an environment. A recurring temptation can become easier to resist when access changes, support increases or a habit is interrupted. Asking for accountability is often a sign of seriousness rather than weakness. Choose someone who can be honest and discreet.

Do not measure growth only by the strength of emotion you feel in a moment. Tears can be sincere, but the longer question is what happens next. A quieter decision to return what you took or stop repeating a rumour may reveal a deeper response than a dramatic promise.

Tonight, review one correction you have received recently. Was there a useful truth inside it, even if the delivery was imperfect? Write down that truth and one response. You do not have to agree with everything someone said to learn from the part that is sound.

Growth becomes more possible when we stop treating every correction as rejection. God’s grace allows us to face the truth and take the next step without pretending we never failed.

Reflect: What specific change would show that I have listened?

Prayer: Father, give me courage to face what is true and humility to receive wise correction. Help me repair what I can, seek support where I need it and keep walking in your grace. Amen.