Better Now Than Later

Reading: 1 Corinthians 11; Psalm 141

31 If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. 32 Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later. (1 Corinthians 11:31-32 MSG)

Paul’s letters to the Galatian churches and the church at Corinth are probably his most “corrective” letters. With the Galatians, he was trying to steer them away from legalism and back to grace. With the Corinthians, his challenge was to pull them back from the brink of selfish abuse of their God-given freedom. There’s a ditch on both sides of the road!

Here, Paul is correcting their abuse of the Lord’s Supper, and he reminds them it’s better to be corrected now than judged later. Good word!

It’s not easy to take correction. When I’m corrected I could become:
• Defensive (“It’s not my fault! It’s not what it looks like!”)
• Combative (“Who do you think you are? What right do you have to criticize me?”)
• Discouraged (“What’s the use? I’ll never get it right!”)

The best response to correction is to swallow my pride, acknowledge my error, ask God’s (and others’) forgiveness as necessary, and take immediate steps to correct the wrong attitude or behavior.

It’s a lot better to be confronted and corrected now than to be judged later when it’s too late to change.

Prayer:

Father, Even when I get defensive, combative, or discouraged, please don’t give up on me. I want to learn, grow, and change. I want to become more like Christ. I want to become the person you destined me to be. Don’t quit on me, even when I whine and complain – Please! Amen.

23 I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. 24 So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. (Jeremiah 10:23-24 NLT)