Gold Medal Christians

(photo: my dad, Joe Simmons, basketball team captain, U.S. army, accepting tournament trophy, 1956)

Olympic Gold Medal Athlete - what prestige! what family pride! the medal will be displayed in a prominent place in the home for all visitors to admire.  But when the athlete sees it he will have a different point of view of the prize.  He will see early morning training sessions, muscle aches, loss of social activity, loss of a "normal life", a strict diet, a curfew, and a mean coach.  Yes, the athlete will find the strictest coach he can possibly find to correct all of his bad habits, slowing techniques, laziness, and sloppiness.  Each time he is corrected he knows his coach has one goal - to make him a better athlete.  There will seldom be a day of training without a criticism or a "let's try that again, and again, and again."

Want to be a "gold medal" Christian? Want to be the best wife for your husband? How about being the best you can be as a daughter, student, friend, or bus worker?
I don't count myself as an achiever of all of these but I have been an observer for a long while. There is a definite quality of "gold medal" Christians and that is the ability to receive rebuke, reproof, instruction, and correction with the right heart attitude, make the changes, and move ahead.

Proverbs 9:7 - He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. ⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. ⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. ¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. ¹¹For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. ¹²If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.


Psalm 141:5 - Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.


The best teachers I've had in my life were the teachers who were not afraid to correct me.  The best piano teachers I had were the ones who corrected every small mistake in rhythm, note reading, and technique.  The best friends I've had in my life did not always agree with me, they stood for truth instead of my opinions.  At the time I did not appreciate correction or criticism, but with maturity I saw the value of that person laying their personal gain of my affection aside in order for me to reach my potential.  After working for Dr. Bob Gray for twenty-seven years I learned that we can survive correction, memos, rebuke, reproof, and instruction.  These things are not given to make us bitter or make us hate, they are given for us to be better, to knock off the rough edges of our ways, to polish us to a brilliant shine for His glory!

As a teacher I will not be able to help one hundred percent of my students.  I can teach the same lesson, give the same demerits, and have the same counseling sessions and end up with many different results - all depending upon how the student responds to the correction.  One major problem in dealing with young adults is when the parents stand between the teacher and student to "shield" them from the process.  When this happens the only one who is hurt is the student.  Instead of allowing a godly influence to "polish" their child, the child will have to be "polished" by life and bad experiences they could have avoided. Please parents, allow your child to go through the process of correction and see how they respond.  You are there to help them find the right response and to be a happy adult.

How to respond to correction from authority:
1. Listen attentively, without interruption.
2. Do not disagree or try to talk your way out of it
3. Take time to pray and get over the emotions
4. Do not call anyone to give them your side of the story or to "tell" on your authority
5. Realize that the authority is not your enemy, they are your best friends.
6. Pray and ask for the Lord's forgiveness.
7. Apologize to the authority.  If you sincerely believe you were misunderstood, hold your peace. (Jesus did not answer His accusers, even though He was completely innocent) It will all come to light in God's timing.
8. Thank the Lord for people who care enough to try to help you.  It is always easier to avoid problems and "sweep them under the rug."
9. Smile and go on for God.
10. You will reap what  you sow with your children and those under your authority.

It's not the easy way, but it's the winning way!