When your life falls apart, the importance of spiritual correction begins to be significant. Perhaps you are struggling, and the Holy Spirit is prompting you to make spiritual corrections. Then your life can get back on track. There has been more than one marriage or relationship saved when one or both partners made serious spiritual corrections. Psalm 94:12Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions. [1]
Nehemiah Made Needed Spiritual Adjustments
The Israelites did an amazing job rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, but their spiritual lives were much more difficult to rebuild. While their leader Nehemiah was with them, there was accountability and the people seemed to be moving forward in a spiritual sense. After the wall was rebuilt, Nehemiah returned to Babylon as he promised King Artaxerxes, but later asked the King if he could return.
Nehemiah 13:7 When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I learned about Eliashib’s evil deed in providing Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God. 8 I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the room. 9 Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the articles for God’s Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense. [2]
Tobiah was enemy of Nehemiah who did not want the wall of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. Now that the wall was rebuilt, he continued to obstruct the work of God by finding a way into God’s Temple. Figuratively speaking Tobiah was a rat who needed to be dealt with.
Unfortunately, spiritual correction does not happen by itself, either in days of Nehemiah or in your life today. Nehemiah immediately took corrective steps to move Tobiah out of God’s Temple.
Being Open to Correction
How do you respond to spiritual correction? Corrections are not easy, but we are better off for them. To benefit from corrections, we must be teachable and humble. If we refuse correction, we will suffer consequences that could have been avoided. Proverbs 15:32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.[3]
The Christian life is really all about change which is difficult. In fact, the Christian life is one of ongoing change. Paul writes about this change. 2 Cor. 3:18So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. [4] How can we be open to spiritual correction which will change our lives?
To hear more about the importance of spiritual correction, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/rebuilding-unfinished-hope-continued-reforms
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.