SPARE THE ROD

Proverbs 23:13 (AMP) “Withhold not discipline from the child; for if you strike and punish him with the [reed-like] rod, he will not die.”

There are different types of rods we could use to describe the one mentioned in the verse above. We have fishing rods, various types of steel rods, pretzels rods, piston rods, lightning rods, divining rods … but the rod the Bible is speaking of is none of those. It is a reed-like stick or small bundle of sticks which was used to discipline. There is a way of thinking today that flies in the face of Biblical principles that sees, generally speaking, that punishing a child is damaging to their psyche. That the child will grow up to despise the punisher. That it will cripple them emotionally. Make them bitter and enraged. However, scripture teaches us that healthy discipline is necessary to teach right and wrong principles that need to be followed.

Understand that I am not speaking of beating your child to within an inch of their life. I am not speaking of punishing them in anger, for anger must not enter into the discipline. We, as parents, as to discipline our children in love. There also needs to be a healthy dose of fear, laced with respect.

My mother was all of 5’1” tall. By comparison, I am 6’5”. She had a long handled wooden mixing spoon, perhaps a foot long with a spoon section that was about as big around as a softball. When I was in trouble, all I had to do was hear the kitchen drawer open and I knew I was in trouble … always with just cause. I wasn’t a bad child, but I was mischievous, getting into things I had no business getting into. Thus the discipline of “the spoon”. I never hated my mom for that. Parameters were laid down at a young age to show me my boundaries. Cross this line and there will be trouble. Without boundaries, children become free grazers, wandering all sorts of places they don’t belong.

In a world where child abuse is present, there lies legitimate concerns about over disciplining children. The answer to this is not doing away with discipline altogether. A healthy spanking never damaged my psyche or even bruised my body. And it helped me do as I was instructed more times than not. It surely didn’t kill me. Disciplining our children is necessary so they do not “ride roughshod” over us. TV and movies have for years made adults to be witless dolts while children were nearly always portrayed as geniuses there to save the day with wisdom beyond their years and problem solving skills that would make Donald Trump look inept. How silly. If that were literally true that would be one thing, but all that has resulted from this assault on our minds is skew our family system and help destroy our foundation.

Don’t break the will of your child, but don’t treat 7 year olds like adults either. Treat them like who they are, offspring who look to you for wisdom, guidance and support. Instruct them. Discipline them only when necessary to teach them.
Do not be too stern with them. Enjoy them. Love them. Seek God’s wisdom in how to do all these things in moderation.
Our Heavenly Father, not Hollywood, should light the way to greater understanding in raising our children.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!