A FATHER’S DISCIPLINE
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied. The righteous hate falsehood, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner. One pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat. The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished. Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised. Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death. Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the faithless is difficult. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing. Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline, but whoever heeds correction is honored. Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is detestable to fools. He who walks with the wise will become wise,
but the companion of fools will be destroyed. Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous. Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but without justice it is swept away. He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. A righteous man eats to his heart’s content, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.”
“ A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence. He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.” Whatever happened to fatherhood? Not touchy/feely “Oh, you poor thing!” kind of fatherhood, but the real kind, the kind of fatherhood that enforces discipline but that also teaches. One of our African friends was raised by a father who was also a village chief, and the guidance he received from his father is still bearing fruit today.
While this chapter of Proverbs contains a great deal of general advice, it has some pointed things to say about fatherhood and raising children. “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous. Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but without justice it is swept away. He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Good men who are righteous and diligent will leave an inheritance, not only to their children but also to their grandchildren. Part of this inheritance might not be possessions or real estate but teaching and wisdom. But this statement presumes that the person in question has received good teaching from his/her own father and/or grandfather, (or mother or grandmother.)
“The sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.” You might ask “How?” God is a God of infinite variety, and He has all kinds of ways for this to happen.
“Abundant food is in the allow ground of the poor, but without justice it is swept away.” This statement is unfortunately true. Throughout God’s Word, He warns the rich against stealing the land of the poor. In Israel, land was to remain in families and one’s traditional land was a sacred possession. King Ahab ran into deadly trouble when he insisted on stealing Naboth’s ancestral vineyard because he wanted a vegetable garden close to the palace. (1 Kings 21)
“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Why is physical discipline necessary? There are lots of kids who really won’t pay attention to anything else. This statement does not mean that children should be beaten or that physical discipline is the only form of discipline to be used; however, there are times when physical discipline may be necessary. An undisciplined child is a danger to himself and to others, and that situation will only become worse as the child gets older. One British TV reality series documented the deadly danger into which several children strayed when they were given unexpected time off after school. These teens took a bus to a public park several miles from home and then attempted to hike back along the coast, failing to realize that the tide was coming in and that the shoreline contained pockets of unstable muck. Before things were through, the British coast guard had to send two teams of specially trained rescuers plus a helicopter with night vision goggles, all because these kids took off without informing their parents of their plans.
My parents raised three kids on a farm with lots of animals and farm implements. We all began driving at an early age, but none of us had an accident. My parents taught us all kinds of safety precautions from the time we were old enough to walk around the farm. In addition, my parents TRUSTED that we would follow their teachings and do the right thing. When I was eighteen, we were at a friend’s home fifteen miles from our house when Mom called to remind us that we had promised to be back early. As my brothers and I looked in horror at one another, our friend asked, “Are they going to beat you?” “No,” we replied. “It’s worse than that; they have trusted and respected us and we have failed to fulfill that trust.” My parents trusted us so much that later that same summer, they took off on an impromptu vacation, leaving us to run the farm for a week with only my grandparents as backup.
There is one other part of discipline that is critically important: Your kids will copy whatever you do, so discipline yourself first. My mother went back to college at the age of 35 to earn her B.A. so that she could teach high school English. My brothers and I grew up watching Mom commute to college and then return to do hours of homework in the evening. We accepted this practice as the norm, so we didn’t balk at completing our own homework on time.
Truly, the writer of Proverbs 13 is correct when he says, “He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death. Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the faithless is difficult. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.” Want your kids to be wise and to make good decisions? Begin training them when they are toddlers. And give them respect when they do the right thing. A parent’s respect is heady stuff, and a strong incentive to perform well. You will save your kids and yourself untold amounts of misery.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to discipline ourselves as well as our children, knowing that our kids are watching our behavior and will copy it. Thank You for the guidance You give in Your Word. In the matchless Name of King Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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