True, it takes strength to face up to our mistakes. But we can go to God in prayer and ask for the strength and courage to shoulder the blame and apply the reproof, seeing its rightness and benefiting from it with a right spirit, as David did. (Ps. 51:1, 2, 10-12; Isa. 26:16) We can be like the apostle Peter. He was publicly reproved by the apostle Paul for a certain wrong course of action. But Peter was man enough, and above all Christian enough, to take the reproof. He harbored no resentment and later referred to Paul as “our beloved brother.”​—Gal. 2:11-14; 2 Pet. 3:15, 16.

Of course, you don’t need to wait for others to correct you. You can practice “self-discipline.” By being alert, you can recognize many of your own mistakes and take steps to correct them.​—1 Cor. 11:31, 32.

So many benefits come from being receptive to discipline. To admit mistakes or faults in a straightforward way gives one a healthier, cleaner feeling inside. It strengthens one’s heart and mind for what is right. It makes for good relations with others; they recognize you as a person who is honest, humble and balanced, refreshingly different from so many persons today. And, most important, it assures you God’s approval and blessing. Yes, “the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.”​—Prov. 6:23.

So many benefits come from being receptive to discipline. To admit mistakes or faults in a straightforward way gives one a healthier, cleaner feeling inside. It strengthens one’s heart and mind for what is right. It makes for good relations with others; they recognize you as a person who is honest, humble and balanced, refreshingly different from so many persons today. And, most important, it assures you God’s approval and blessing. Yes, “the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.”​—Prov. 6:23.