Reflections from Proverbs 15

In my daily reading of scripture this morning I was reading Proverbs 15 and noticed a few verses with the same theme: reproof.

About 1-2 months ago I tried to lovingly reprove a friend, but as an unfortunate result of my reproof, we are no longer friends.  It was a very sad moment for me to lose a friend, but I realized through reading the scriptures again and again that my reproof was biblical, and that the result of this reproof is only disastrous to the person who rejected it.

Here's some verses generally about reproving that I have meditated on today and thought about over the last 2 months.

Verse 5 "A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent"
Verse 10 "There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die" - This one seems especially harsh for me...a clear warning of how important reproof is for our spiritual health and life.
Verse 12 "A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise" - Some people just don't like to hear that they are doing something less than perfect, this would include myself sometimes, and by God's grace I'm working this out.
Verse 28 "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things" - This is really interesting, how many times have you said something without thinking that you regretted later, or that caused damage to a relationship with another person?  I know I have done this sometimes, and it has been done to me many times as well.  It's wise counsel that we should be slow to speak and anger, especially when someone is reproving us.
Verse 31 " The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise" - Did you notice that? "Life-giving reproof" - In the moment, reproof can feel like it sucks the life right out of you, but in the end, it is really giving life to your soul, especially if you take heed and follow wise advice.  I need to tell myself this when my husband or someone else reproves me for something.
Verse 32 "Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listen to reproof gains intelligence." - This simply speaks for itself!  Even though it's so contradictory to what we feel in our hearts, how true it is, that if we accept reproof, even unloving reproof, how much more do we gain from this than lose?

I know myself well enough that I know I am not the best at handling a harsh reproof.  It's mostly emotional for me, I feel like I have failed myself, or God, or something like this.  Other people have other reactions, but this is my unrighteous reaction sometimes, and I need to repent for it every time to gain the wisdom that God is trying to teach me through someone's reproof.  I haven't talked with my friend who I reproved for over 2 months because my friend refuses to make contact with me.  It's very sad, but I have to face the facts and look at the scripture.  God said we are wise and gain life if we listen to reproof, and only bad things come from rejecting it.  Therefore, I pray for my friend, and for my own heart too, that when reproved by someone we will be able to recognize any sin we have in our hearts and destroy it, so that we may gain wisdom and righteousness.