DISCIPLINE

Proverbs 23:13-14
13: Do not withhold discipline from a child; If you punish them with the rod They will not die.
14: Punish them with the rod and save them from death.

Those of you that have been following the blog readings for some time will remember my mentioning the verses my folks had framed and displayed throughout our home. These two verses were no exception. They were on prominent display also, but of all places, it was in their bedroom on their dresser. When we were in high school, I finally asked why it was in their bedroom and not ours. Their answer was one that I will never forget. They said that they needed a reminder to punish us as God expected them to. My mouth must have dropped open because my dad quickly added that when I had children I would understand and, I do!

Now, that brings us to today and why I chose to write on these two verses. Every time I turn on the news there seems to always be a story about a mob going into a store and shoplifting multiple thousands of dollars of merchandise. Then they follow up that story with the news that they will not be prosecuted nor kept in jail if arrested. Now, the thinking is that this somehow will cut down on crime. Now, in spite of appearances, I wasn’t born yesterday. Somebody more intelligent than I will need to explain how that works. What we are seeing on the news almost every day confirms the importance of these two verses. If we take away the discipline for wrongdoing, we are encouraging behavior that is abhorrent at best.

When I was a child, I couldn’t believe that a loving God would tell my mom and dad to spank me. Now, as I look back, not only am I glad He did, but I’m thankful that my parents loved me enough to follow His direction.