“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.” (Proverbs 9:7–9, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Wise counsel. Too few these days (including me) are open to correction or instruction. Certainly not rebuke. If we were more open, perhaps we would find that we can indeed add to our understanding.
My Advice – We must think carefully before we insult, mock or abuse someone with a contrary belief or opinion to ours. It is possible to speak the truth in love. It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. There is too much thoughtless monologue and not enough thoughtful dialogue going on today. We need more humility and less humiliation. More insight and less (no) insult.
