“Whoever spares the
rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him”. –Proverbs 13:24. “A fool
despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.” –Proverbs
15:5.”The ear that listens to life-giving
reproof will dwell among the wise.” –Proverbs 15:31. “Commit
your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” –Proverbs
16:3. “Even a child makes himself known
by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.” –Proverbs
20:11. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will
not depart from it.” –Proverbs 22:6 (ESV).
I selected six pertinent verses from
Proverbs on the subject of discipline. The
word translated discipline or correction is use thirty-one times in
Proverbs. That shows the weight it bears
in the way life is conducted. We think
primarily of the obligation of parents to discipline their children. And this is a God-given privilege as well as a
grave responsibility in the family unit.
Children learn discipline and eventually become self-disciplined by
learning that there are restrictions to be followed and parameters set. And self-discipline is a life-long process. We need discipline every day, that which
we’ve learned ourselves either by our upbringing, or from what we may call “the
hard knocks” of life brought about by wrong choices.
Proverbs 13:24 indicates that discipline
by physical punishment (the rod) is acceptable.
More modern trends in child rearing question the wisdom of physical punishment. Notice the last part of 13:24: “he who loves him (the child) is diligent
(steadfast, consistent) to discipline him.”
The Message Bible translates this verse: “A
refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining
them.” Bible scholars note that
13:24 stems from an old Egyptian proverb that reads, “The ears of the young are
placed on the back, and he hears when the back is flogged.” We may smile at this ancient justification
for using the rod in discipline. Parenting
is a privilege but it is also a grave responsibility. We have the present and future of the
children entrusted specifically to our care to bring up into responsible
maturity. Discipline begins young and it
comes with a remarkable promise: “Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.” We know that children
brought up with good discipline can and do stray from it. So then, what of this promise? We hear often about “cutting the apron
strings,” and we must come to a point when we allow children to assume
responsibility for their own decisions and actions. But when parents combine discipline with
example of living an upright life before their children, and continue to
surround the children with prayer and love—even when they are “on their
own,” the promise of Proverbs 22:6 can
come to fruition. This principle is a
vital part of Proverbs 16:3: “Commit your
work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” This applies to all phases of our work,
and holds much weight in the work of being parents and bringing up children in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Do we want to enjoy our children all of
our lives, and even our children to the second and third generation as we
become grandparents and great grandparents?
Then we should begin very early in the child’s life to correct and
discipline, and be persistent and consistent in the training. Discipline has to do with correcting behavior
and character faults while the child is still young, before wrong conduct has
time to be established. Children cannot
be “left to themselves.” They need
guidance of a positive and upbuilding nature.
Proverbs 29:17 states: “Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
yes, he will give delight to your soul” (NKJV)
Thank God that you personally were
disciplined. In your responsibilities
for disciplining yourself and others, pray for wisdom and understanding
necessary to practicing responsible discipline.
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