Ignoring Advice Can Be Costly

I was reminded of an important principle in life this morning:

Proverbs 29:1 says, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.”

I have observed this principle at work in so many different ways over my life.

• The girl who everyone says is dating the wrong guy, but she’s “in love” and won’t listen. (She often finds out others were right the hard way. )
• The difficult boss with a reputation for being a tyrant and wonders why he can’t keep employees.
• The pastor who has staff turn over like a revolving door, but blames the issue on everything except his leadership.
• The mother or father who can’t seem to get their kids to obey but refuse to see the value of consistent discipline for their children.
• The young person who ignores all practical suggestions in search of their dream, but after numerous set-backs wishes he or she had followed a parent’s advice.
• The one who reads and even tries every diet plan available, yet never consistently follows through on any of them.
• The person who doesn’t bother to save for the future or spends recklessly, but wonders why they can never get ahead financially.

Granted, we learn best by experience, and many of the mistakes above I have made and learned valuable life lessons from them. We also learn, however, by the wisdom of others and humbling ourselves enough to accept the correction or criticism others offer can often help us avoid costly mistakes. The verse ends with a warning of such, “will suddenly be broken beyond healing”. That part of the principle doesn’t ignore grace or the ability to recover, but it does point out that some mistakes can leave lasting consequences.

So consider this question:

If you keep hearing the same criticism over and over from various sources, could it be time to listen, before it is too late?

What examples have you seen, or lived personally, that illustrates this Biblical principle?