The spirit of correction

The appearance of virtue, of correctness, likes to express itself in an ironic tone, but very piously and politely. True virtue, when it is expressed at all, is either very subtle, almost invisible, or else so bold and direct, that it is accused of being uncharitable and demanding, but never of being polite.

There is a kind of spirit of correction in people, one that won’t let well enough alone, but must always be on the lookout for defects in others to be corrected. Even when they are forced to agree with someone in the main, or worse yet, offer a bit of praise or appreciation, they must cloud it with a corrective rejoinder. They must be righter, so you can know you’re wronger.

It’s right to speak up sometimes, when we must, to point out something that must be corrected to save ourselves or others from danger, from injustice, from waste, even from bad habits. Internally, the Christian is practicing a kind of vigilance of soul in his internal economy, to keep his behavior in line with the gospel. Externally, though, his sights are set higher than the tops of others’ heads, not seeing their personal defects, but the Lord who is setting them on their feet. This is how it is supposed to be, but rarely is. Instead, the Christian is often a zealous vigilante, armed with a good dose of the spirit of correction, eager to hop on anything another says or does, with a view to set him straight. “I’m righter than you are. You’re wronger than me. I must save you from yourself.”

This is why before I became a Christian, I avoided them, and why, now that I am one, I still avoid them.

What do I mean by that? Well, whenever I meet anyone, I assume the best. After all, they are Christ coming to me, and I am Christ coming to them. This is the simple gospel rule that I follow. All is well until we find out that we are Christians, or that I am. If the new acquaintance is a non-Christian, they are either comfortable with me because their reason guards them, or they are very uncomfortable with me and avoid me then and there, because they follow rumor, they allow no chance of themselves being mauled.

If the acquaintance is a Christian, I try to fellowship with them. Almost always this quickly resolves itself into scenarios where I must defend myself constantly from correction, or else quietly take it, and then the attempt to fellowship on my part quiets down, because I have pierced through their curtain, and they know it.

Christ says to us, “Love one another as I have loved you,” and not “Correct one another.”

Appreciate the good that people are, say and do, really appreciate it, appreciate them. Encourage them. Confirm them in their good efforts and achievements. Learn to accept praise without falsely deflecting it by verbal expressions of piety or humility. God knows us through and through. He knows if we’re humble or not, and that’s what is important, not the impression we make on others. If you feel the need to correct your neighbor, first take a deep breath and stand back from the situation. Do you want to really help, or are you just intent on dampening their spirit? Do you really love them, or do you love correction?

Which spirit is in you, the Holy Spirit, or the other one?