LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 16, 2024
LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 16, 2024
Things are upside down. Culture is directing the family, instead of family forming the culture. It is essential that we return to basing our family life on the wisdom of God’s Word. So for the next few days we are going to look at three principles of wise parenting we find in several powerful wisdom statements that Solomon makes about family. Here’s the first one:
Prov. 23:13-14 “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.”
There are a lot of conflicting views bantered about today about the discipline of children. Some say, “Enforce the rules and make the consequences hurt,” while others say, “Don’t have rules so as not to break their spirit and stifle their creativity.” How are we to know what is the proper approach to parenting so that our children will grow up some day to be righteous and wise so we can delight in them?
Over my many years I have learned a few basic principles that might help in your quest to be a better parent and raise Godly kids. Here is parenting fundamental number one.
1. ALL discipline is for the good of the child and not the good of the parent. I can’t begin to tell you how many times, in my early years as a father, I was guilty of inflicting a consequence upon my children because it either emotionally or physically satisfied me at the time. This was so wrong, and I learned quickly by the responses of my wife and my children that discipline is not to be an expression of my hurt or my frustration, but it is to be carefully designed to produce a positive response of growth in the child. Look at what Proverbs 23:14 says – “Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.” The emphasis here is on what will most benefit the child. You will have a great relationship with your child, even when there are enforced consequences for sin, when the child knows you are intent on doing what is best for them and not for yourself. This will teach them to respect authority, something that is lost in our current culture.
Tomorrow we will look at principle number two. For today, let’s focus on how to teach our children respect for authority. It starts with you as the parent. Thanks for working hard to apply the first principle to your own life..
Pastor John