8 A wise heart accepts commands… 17 The one who follows instruction is on the path to life… (Proverbs 8a & 17a CSB)

Hearing criticism can be hard. Heeding it can be even harder.

However, how can we ever know if we are on the right path if we never receive any direction? It is like the old witticism, “I may be going the wrong way, but I’m making good time.”

God’s direction comes in many forms. Sometimes from friends, sometimes family, sometimes from business associates or leaders. We need to be open to hearing what others have to say and accepting it based upon the merit it may contain.

Heeding these subtle, or maybe not so subtle, directions will provide corrections in life if we are open to them. It is easy to tell ourselves that we are right and others are wrong. But we need to heed the input we are receiving. If we stubbornly stick to only our own insights how do we grow? We are typically not our own best teacher.

God may send ever more forceful messages if we do not heed His nudges through criticisms or commands. Hearing and heeding the input we get from people in our lives may just be making changes God wishes us to make.