Devotion October 9, 2006
"Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child"

I hope each of you have had a wonderful weekend. I have enjoyed being with Ruby and Mama.

The Methodist Church has Nursing Home Ministry on Monday's. I am speaking for them tomorrow. I am looking forward to sharing God's Word.

I gave a poem last night on "What Are We Teaching Our Children." I decided to go a little further with it tonight.

(Proverbs 22: 6)
"Train up a child in the way of he should go.
And when he is old he will not depart from it."

(Proverbs 9: 9)
"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a just man, and he will increase understanding."

Joe and I were at a Lowe's store a few weeks ago. We are having to replace the screen on the back porch of our new house.

The builder used the new black fiberglass screen, and would you believe that grasshoppers, big ones, ate holes in the screen. Now I am not joking. We looked it up and found out that the large grasshoppers are actually eating the fiberglass screening. There were several complaints about it on Bob Villa's Web Site.

Anyway, while we were looking at the screen there was a family with two children, a girl about the eight years old and a boy about 4 years old.

Joe and I were talking and the little boy over heard us say about the grasshoppers eating the screen. He went to screaming and hitting at us and telling us they did not.

Well, I thought that maybe we had scared him, so I told him that my daughter is a doctor that takes care of all the sick little animals. That we loved animals, and we would never hurt any animal.

He went to screaming at us louder and telling us off. Not a cry scream, but a rude scream.

His parents said he just woke up. Well, Joe and I walked around the corner and the first words out of my mouth was, "I know a way to wake him up real good. If he was mine, his little bottom would be burning," and Joe agreed.

Then I went to the grocery store and a man and his daughter were coming out of the store. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, "But daddy I wanted that, and I hate you." You could tell the daddy was so embarrassed. She was saying it louder and louder and over and over.

Again, I thought boy, if she were mine.

I remember when Tara was little she saw a little boy asked his mama for something in the store and he started throwing a temper tantrum when the mama said "No!" So, to make the child stop, the mama gave him the toy.  Well, Tara thought she would try it, guess what?  You're right, it did not work for her. She never did it again.

I want to say, I have never hit my children in the face of anywhere else except their little bottom. And I never raised my voice at our girls, nor did I say awful words to them. We just made them mind, and have respect for us and others.

My daddy and mama raised six children and they did not spare that little keen switch on us. And we all turned out pretty good.

I cannot understand why people do not discipline their children.  Joe and I were not afraid to discipline ours, and now look, we have two wonderful children who love the Lord.

Now I do know that there at times that even children raised in church stray, but as the verse above says, "Train them and if they do depart, they will return."

Discipline involves both instruction and exercise designed to train in proper conduct or action. Punishment may also be inflicted as a means of correction.

We must embrace the discipline of instruction and heed reproofs gladly. Realize that man is inclined to turn away from both.

It is important to follow instruction diligently. Accept the correction of reproof. Value their lessons. Seek after both instruction and reproof.

Perhaps biblical wisdom most significantly challenges our modern philosophies and practices of childrearing.

But as parents we must train our children to honor authority, obey, and follow instruction. Also we must discourage rebellion, stubbornness, and disobedience.

We must practice consistent discipline and corporal correction in rearing our children.  Recognize that children are training to obedience by these.

(Proverbs 13: 24)
"He who spares his rod hates his son, (children). But he who loves him disciplines him promptly."

(Proverbs 19: 18)
"Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction."

Understanding Proverbs 19: 18, we see that if we as parents do not correct our children, we are sending them to destructive behavior, and a destructive life.

Scriptures: The New King James Bible
Devotion Written by: Pastor Pat Aman

 

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