7 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets [e]insults for himself.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
The message of this passage is twofold. First, very practically and plainly, don’t waste your time trying to teach someone who doesn’t want your help. How will you know? They will not be thankful, nor give you honor, or thanks. Quite the opposite, as Solomon tells us, they will make fun of you and insult you for your effort.
When that happens, stop wasting your time. Perhaps they will come around later, but for now, you’ve planted the seed. You need to move on, painful as that might be. If nothing else, you can pray for them, that God would soften their hearts. Then wait for His timing.
Yet there is a second lesson here. Do you consider yourself wise or righteous? Then do you accept the correction of others? Or do you quote the often heard, “who are you to judge me?”
If you want to be wise, you need to look for opportunity to improve, even when you think you already know the best way. You never know when you’ll find a new nugget of wisdom, a better way to do something. Especially keep your eyes and ears open for God’s instruction and correction. There is no one wiser, and if we ignore that help, we’ll really be in rough shape.
Listen instead, and ask God to show you what needs to change in your life. Then, don’t be surprised when He tells you! It may be uncomfortable, but it will be worth the effort.