Proverbs 9 verse 7 gives us profound wisdom regarding our tendency to want to correct others, even out of good will. We have to be discerning when choosing who to correct. The verse reads: He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,

And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

Why is this book of wisdom saying such a thing? Well, let’s think about it rationally, A scoffer is someone who laughs and speaks about a person or idea in a way that shows that they think that person or idea is stupid or silly. This person purposefully doesn’t care about whether or not your correction is right or wrong, their primary focus is not to improve themself, but rather to pull you and others down. Correcting such a person will only put them on your bad side, causing rumors and lies about you to be shared as revenge. 

It’s a similar problem for correcting a wicked person. Someone who will take your correction as an offense will aim to get revenge as well. This puts your goodwill at risk of doing you worse than the person good. 

With this in mind, It is wise before correcting someone, to discern whether they are full of wisdom and understanding so they can accept it with grace. If not, hold your tongue. Let us always exercise Godly wisdom when interacting with others and not be hasty to correct someone who doesn’t want correction. Stay blessed and follow for more inspirational videos!