Take the Correction
One of the hardest things for a man to receive is correction from someone he respects.
Our first instinct is often to defend ourselves. Explain the circumstances. Point out what the other person does not understand. Sometimes we are right. But sometimes the man across from us can see something we cannot.
Brotherhood is not just having men who encourage you. It is having men who care enough to tell you the truth before a weakness becomes a failure.
A good leader does not need to be the smartest man in every room. He needs to be teachable. A good husband, father, friend, and brother is willing to hear, “You could have handled that better,” without immediately building a defense.
Correction can sting. Pride makes it feel like an attack. Humility can turn it into a gift.
You do not have to agree with every criticism you receive. But before you dismiss it, ask God whether there is something in it you need to hear.
When someone corrects me, is my first response usually curiosity or defensiveness?
God, give me the humility to receive truth even when it is uncomfortable. Surround me with men who will speak honestly into my life, and make me teachable enough to listen. Help me grow instead of defend. Amen.
Ask one trusted person this question: “What is one area where you think I could become a better man?” Then listen without explaining yourself.
Keep walking through the fire
Forged by Fire is a book about the cost of isolation and the power of brotherhood. If this hit something, the book goes further.