Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (ESV)

“Hey, can I give you some feedback?” Ever had anyone say that to you? What was your reaction? Are you one who seeks feedback or shies away from it?  

‍

I’ll be honest – I was not one to really seek feedback. It often either felt like someone was stepping out of their own lane or that they were speaking beyond what they really knew. I’ve learned otherwise. We, as a staff at ACF, have been talking a lot lately about giving and receiving feedback with grace, love, and open hands. We want to be willing and ready to receive feedback because we want to always be growing closer to who God has created us to be. And guess what – it’s Biblical: As we grow nearer and nearer to who God created us to be, we reflect our Savior that much more.  

‍

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he plainly lays out exactly how and why Timothy should be “giving feedback” to the church. As one commentary put it, “Timothy was to bring the Word of God to bear on the lives of his people. He was not to treat the Word as if it were filled with interesting ideas or fascinating theories. He was to hold up the Word of God against the lives of his people and let God do his work.”  

‍

The words Paul uses are very direct (and somewhat harsh, really). Let’s look at the Greek for each real quick. The Greek word for reprove is elegcho and means to reprehend severely, chide, admonish – to call to account, show one his fault. Likewise, the root meaning of each of the other words, rebuke and exhort, are just as harsh – tax with fault, rate, chide, admonish.  

Leave it to Paul to not mince any words or pull his punches. Where I say, “feedback in grace and love,” Paul says chide, admonish, reprehend severely.  

But there is a reason why Paul is so direct and doesn’t softball it. Verse 3 goes on to say, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” What he’s saying here is that people will be searching for different paths – paths that will suit their own ideas and comfort. Paths that take them off the path of righteousness. We are so apt to seek out those who say what we want to hear, right? We want to do what we want to do, and we don’t really want anyone to call us on it.  

‍

We know that one of the oppositions of the unchurched or dechurched to the truth of the Gospel might be that a loving God would not allow bad things happen to good people, right? We know that we have all struggled to understand tragedies in our world. So, we either want to deny that a loving, all-powerful being exists because of our circumstances, or we want to say that whoever your god is, if you are a good person, you will go to heaven.  

‍

But we can’t have it both ways. We need to have a plumb line, a standard, for truth. For believers, that’s God and his Word. We need to remember that while God is loving, he is equally as holy. So, Paul calls us to be direct in our correction, with great patience and instruction, so that we can help those who are following any false teaching that might just sound more warm and fuzzy. We can help those who begin to stray from the truth to get back on track. If we start to lose our way – wandering from the truth of the One and only way to abundant life – we can also lose our impact.

‍

So, when we receive Biblical feedback (correction, rebuke, reprove), we may not always like it, but we should be willing to consider it. If the feedback comes from a trusted person in our lives, who we know loves God and wants the best for us, we should be ready to change our ways and apply the Biblical truths we hear. Then, we can get back on track and have the most impact for the Kingdom, as the Holy Spirit guides us back to right living.

Father God, guide us in your ways. Help us to not only give but also to receive correction in accordance with your truth and your will. Help us to be ready, in season and out of season, to shepherd our brothers and sisters to follow your truth. Jesus, you are Truth. May we always follow you, hear you, and know you. In your precious name ~ AMEN!