Rebuke and correction are often seen as undesirable responses we receive from people because they tend to embarrass us. The love of Jesus, however, will show us that God's means of growing us is through discipline. Just as He loved and served, He also rebuked sternly—not to put His disciples down but to build them up.

Hebrews 12:6 affirms, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."

Sometimes God uses people we know—our mentors, leaders, pastors, spouses and friends—to give us a quick tap of His rod to pull us back on the right path.

Interestingly enough, this is why so many people reject the gospel—because it is in essence an open rebuke done by God in the name of love. The gospel tells us that we are sinful beyond measure and that our means of salvation is not even in our hands, but in the hands of Jesus who made a way for us to be set free from sin.

For discipline and rebuke to be effective, it must be done right. It must be done in the way God aspires it to happen. If you have been impressed by God to rebuke, here are three guidelines that will help you make your rebuke constructive and not destructive.

Rebuke openly

Proverbs 27:5 says, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love."

Nowadays, sugar-coating rebuke can be very common, but it can also be very confusing. While it's important to be loving and motivational in rebuke, we must also be honest with the truth. That doesn't give us the right to be tactless but to be honourers of the truth so that by the truth people will be set free.

Rebuke to build up

Rebuke was never meant to bring people down. It is actually a great way to measure our hearts. When we rebuke people to make it appear that we are better than others, we can be sure that every correction that comes out will be wrong.

We must always bear in mind that we have fallen short and that we also need Jesus to be complete. Jeremiah 10:24 tells us, "Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing."

Rebuke in love

Just as God is love, we are also to speak in love even though we rebuke others. It is guaranteed that rebuke by any other motivation and foundation will fall short as legalism. We must rebuke knowing that we need love just as much as the next person and that to see healing and growth happen, love must flow out of all things. Proverbs 3:12 says, "For the Lord reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."