Daily Devotional
Getting Angry At Righteous Correction
Text: John 6:66
“Many of the disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”
Message
In our text today, we found some of the disciples or crowd that hitherto following Jesus turned back never to walk or returned to him again as His teaching crossed their path of supposed importance and righteousness.
It is good we note that these crowds are no ordinary people. They had followed Jesus till now.
How?
By laying down their lives and living in a totally different way than they expected.
Sadly, and many of his disciples, verse 66 says, “Turned back and no longer walked with him.”
In other words, they’re not going to follow Jesus according to Jesus again! They were angry at Jesus! They were angry at their church leader!
Seems like you or someone you know from your church or another church?
Anger is said to lie in the bossom of fools. Fools ignores correction, yet the scripture can not be broken. In the multitude of counsel, there is safety.
Also, the Father rebukes the child he loves. Yet many Christian and churchy people are found to get angry with the church and its leadership when corrected.
They soon forget Proverbs 29 15, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” (ESV)
NIV put it this way, “A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.”
Some believers walk out from the church for flimsy reason that they were corrected in way they find unjust. Some take punishment and walk out when they have completed their punishment. Some remain as rebels and thorns in the flesh of the church and its leadership. Some remain to sow discord, dissections, party spirits, and the likes in the lives of innocent and unstrong believers.
Renowned Gospel Actor and Evangelist Mike Bamiloye has shared a message on this on his official Facebook page of the evil and consequences of indignation to church discipline.
Warning against the dangers of getting angry at righteous correction within the Church Bamiloye shared a story of what happened after a lady left her church because she was asked to take her crying child outside.
According to him, the lady had left her church eighteen years ago after being asked to take her crying child outside during a service. The woman, consumed by anger at what she perceived as unfair treatment, stormed out of the Church with her son-child clutched to her chest, vowing never to return again.
However, the consequences of her actions unfolded tragically over the years.
Her son, who had been just a year old at the time of the incident, grew up to be rebellious and unruly.
From a young age, he became entangled in a web of drug addiction and delinquency, leaving his mother heartbroken and desperate for a solution.
Yet, in a miraculous turn of events, the Holy Spirit intervened and convicted the woman’s heart, prompting her to seek reconciliation with her past. Through tears of repentance and humility, she returned to the same Church she had abandoned years ago, seeking forgiveness and restoration.
To her amazement, her act of obedience bore fruit almost immediately.
On her second Sunday back at the Church, she was met by her son, standing at the gate, visibly unkempt but with a newfound sense of sobriety and contrition.
He humbly apologized for his past behaviour, and in that moment, a glimmer of hope pierced through the darkness that had shrouded their lives for so long.
The sad thing is not many will be twice lucky! So let us be careful. Such punishment is divine and is executed independent of the Padtor. It does not matter whether or not the pastor responded or uttered a word. Have you not heard, touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm?
Bamiloye urged believers to reflect on their own attitudes towards correction and obedience in the house of God, by their parents and those in authorover them.
He cautioned against allowing anger and pride to cloud judgment, emphasizing the transformative power of humility and repentance.
He further reminded them of the importance of maintaining a teachable spirit and submitting to godly authority.
Beloved, let us embrace a lifestyle of humility and obedience. Let us trust in God’s faithfulness to bring about restoration and healing in our lives.
May we receive the grace and courage to return to pick the pieces of our lives where we have missed it.
May anger and pride not deny us the window to our restorations.
May we be favoured not to destroy our future on the lap of the present convenience.
May God forgive us our past behaviour and heal us from disobedience henceforth in the name of Jesus Christ.