We All Need a Nathan
Why Biblical Correction Is an Act of Love
Most of us, if we are honest, don’t like to give correction or receive it.
We hesitate to give correction because we don’t want to come across as confrontational or holier-than-thou. And we resist receiving correction because we don’t like being told we’re wrong. None of us enjoy disagreement.
But biblical correction doesn’t have to sever relationships or become confrontational. In fact, when done properly, it can be a blessing both to the one giving it and the one receiving it.
Biblical correction should never be argumentative, and it should never be about proving how right we are and how wrong someone else is.
Now before you get all excited because you’ve been looking for a reason to check someone, there are a few things we should keep in mind when offering biblical correction.
First: Examine Yourself
In Matthew 7:5, Jesus says:
“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Often the sins we see in others are the very sins that bother us about ourselves. That’s why we must approach correction with humility and examine our own lives first.
Second: Let the Bible Be the Guide
The Bible has to be our guide.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 says:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
It’s okay to give personal advice, but we must make it very clear when something is our opinion and not God’s Word. And if a person chooses not to accept our opinion, we should understand and allow that to be their choice.
Third: Check Your Motives
Are we trying to win an argument, or are we trying to win a brother or sister over with the Word of God?
In Ephesians 4:25, we are reminded to speak the truth in love.
Correction that is rooted in love seeks restoration, not humiliation.
A Biblical Example of Correction
One of my favorite stories in the Bible involving correction can be found in 2 Samuel 12. But before we talk about chapter 12, we have to look at what happened in chapter 11.
Chapter 11 begins by telling us that it was the season when kings normally went out to war. But instead of going himself, David stayed behind and sent Joab and his army.
David’s idleness produced lust, and that lust led to adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of David’s soldiers, Uriah.
If you haven’t read the story, you should.
Bathsheba becomes pregnant, and David attempts to cover up his sin. In trying to bury his wrongdoing, he ends up burying Uriah. David orders that Uriah be placed at the front of the fiercest battle so that he would be struck down.
Uriah dies, and David marries Bathsheba.
The final sentence of that chapter says:
“However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.”
David wrote in Psalms 139 that there is nowhere we can flee from God’s presence. But in this moment, David’s sin seemed to give him temporary amnesia.
We may be able to hide our sin from people, but the Lord always knows.
Nathan Confronts David
Chapter 12 begins with the Lord sending Nathan to David.
Nathan tells David a story about two men in a city—one rich and one poor. The rich man had many flocks and herds, while the poor man had only one little lamb that he loved like a member of his family.
When a traveler came to visit the rich man, instead of taking from his own abundance, the rich man took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the guest.
David became furious when he heard the story. He declared that the man deserved to die and should restore the lamb fourfold.
Then Nathan delivered the words that exposed David’s sin:
“You are the man.”
David was suddenly forced to face the ugliness of his own sin. The sin he had tried to hide was now exposed by God.
As the story continues, we see that there are consequences that unfold for many chapters afterward.
God could have used many ways to expose David’s sin—but instead, He sent a man.
This wasn’t the first time Nathan had come to David. Previously Nathan brought David good news about God’s promises to him.
But in 2 Samuel 12, Nathan comes with a message of conviction.
The Questions for Us
There are many lessons we could explore in this passage, but one question stands out:
Who is your Nathan?
Or perhaps the better question is:
Are you being a Nathan to someone else?
God has given us His Word not just for ourselves, but to share with others. Biblical correction is part of the responsibility believers have toward one another. We are called to watch out for each other and help guide one another back to truth when we stray.
People like Nathan help remove the blindfold from our eyes so we clearly see the seriousness of our sin. But they also remind us of God’s forgiveness.
In 2 Samuel 12:13, David responds to Nathan by saying:
“I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan then reminds David that the Lord has taken away his sin and that he would not die.
Nathan’s correction led to repentance and restoration.
We don’t know exactly what the Lord said to Nathan when He sent him to David. But we do know that Nathan was faithful to go—and David was willing to repent.
The Heart Behind Correction
Our correction should never come from a spirit of superiority. It must come from humility and love.
Repentance and restoration should always be the goal.
God called David a man after His own heart, but even David—blessed as he was—was still a sinful man.
And so are we.
That is why we all need a Nathan sometimes… and why we may also be called to be a Nathan for someone else.
A Final Thought
Book of Psalms 141:5 says:
“Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.”
Correction from someone who loves God and loves us is not cruelty.
It is kindness.
So I’ll ask again:
Who is your Nathan?
And if someone in your life has the courage to speak truth to you, don’t reject it.
Receive it as the gift that it is.
I’m praying for you.
We all need a Nathan. Share this blog with the Nathan(s) in your life.