Monday 10/10
Have you ever wondered; Just what is the most expensive item that humans have created? Give up? Well if you guessed this it is the International Space Station. With a tab of 100billion dollars you were right. Wow quite a price tag. Huh?
Prov. 23:13,14 "Don't fail to discipline your children. The rod of punishment won't kill them. Physical discipline may well save them from death."
Now let's think about this for just a moment. Is the Bible talking about harming our children by over disciplining them? (beating or bruising)
The obvious answer is; No, just take a gander at Eph. 6:4 where it talks of the idea of discipline & instruction bringing a change in behavior but does not result in anger or rebellion from the recipient.
The parental guideline here is to realize that it isn't kindness to allow them to run wild. After all the Bible doesn't condone permissiveness but rather encourages correction.
We see the harm of permissive parenting:
Eli the high priest - God rebuked him by saying "Why do you do such things?" 1 Sam. 2:22-25. He was permissive to his sons which resulted in ruin on his house, his sons, the priesthood, and ultimately the nation.
King David 1 Kings 1:6 failed to correct Adonijah & two times he committed treason against his father but David did not punish him; this finally resulted in his death.
Tomorrow we will look at the why if this important principle for parents.
Unfortunately the community at large has responded improperly to parental abuse and as a result we see all around us uncontrolled violence. So many people in our day are appalled, but for those who dig deep in scripture recognize this in no surprise.
Just go to a school function with small children in attendance and look at how those children are dealt with.
God speaks clearly on this subject, "discipline -- intense punishment for intense disobedience -- will not kill you", in fact -- it may save your life.
Extremes never win out -- extreme permissiveness or extreme punishment-- both always finally lose.
So Go With God and He will guide you. He will guard you from either extreme. He will guide you in all truth.
Wise comments about a very important Scripture. We can love our children most by providing discipline. They long for it, in that providing them boundaries to their young, impulsive behavior causes the child to feel safe, cared for, and loved. It also causes them to be likable to others by having acceptable behavior in group settings. No one wants to be around a screaming, tantrum-driven child that acts out. My mother used to say, "I am disciplining you for your own good and to make you likable. It would be easier for me to ignore it, but I do it because I love you."