Posted on 07/12/2021 11:59:28 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” (Proverbs 13:24).
“Betimes” is a word that basically means, “as needed.” Now, no kid wants to feel the rod, but the Word surely tells us that they need it from time to time to direct them. There are a number of passages in the Book of Proverbs that deal with child training and child discipline. This verse is one of the best of the bunch. The rod in view here is the same as the shepherd’s rod of Psalm 23, “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
The error most people make is they believe the rod is all about pain and punishment, but David wrote that they were for comfort, they help to establish boundaries in a young person’s life. Good, godly boundaries give a sense of security. A young boy in a fenced in yard has complete freedom to go anywhere and do anything within the bounds of that fence. He may live on a busy thoroughfare with cars speeding back and forth, but within those walls he need not fear what is taking place on the roadway.
One of the best tools a parent can use with his child is the shepherd’s rod, a half-inch or three-quarter inch dowel pin. As long as it is wielded in love, and not in baseless anger, God heartily approves and even commands it. Our purpose is to mold the clay, and not to break the spirit. There used to be an old poem which read, “You can get your lick with a hickory stick.”
The world has been conditioned to think that corporal punishment is abusive and hateful. Now, it can be, if punishment is administered in anger. When a parent is angry, it is easy to go overboard and do more damage than good. In those instances, criminal charges are to be expected. Parent, when you decide it is necessary to use corporal punishment, get away by yourself for a few moments and spend some time with God and calm down your emotions. Only when you know that you are under control should you proceed. Always pray first by yourself, and then with your child—and make sure that you both understand that it is for the good and not some act of brutality.
We need to love our children to the extent that we are willing to do whatever is necessary to do whatever we can to see that our children grow up to be respectful of authority and grow up on the right side of the law.
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I learned right away, to respect my Mom, and to fulfill her wishes.
A newborn baby can get the idea of keeping you up all night at his/her will if you let it. That is the time of life not to let it take control, or you will never cure it of trying to overcome your will. When it is well-fed and nothing wrong with him/her, then put the babe to bed with a sweet but firm "Good night." evenat a week or so, if it wakes up abd cries for attention, a few strokes of a soda straw, then lovingly tucked back in bed with no further resonse until feeding schedule will soon keep the babe quiet and meditating until his/her time for scheduled attention arrives.
My daughter-in-law and my son raised ten children, starting this way. All those children have been exquisite in their self-governing behavior without exception.
There are many aspects to training children, but the rod principle will save them from Hell, so the Proverbs say later in 23:14, which is consistent with this.
The foolish modern psychologists demand that the parent or teacher must never cause confrontation with a child by saying "No!" or "Stop!" and in a non-negotiable manner.
They insist that an approved non-violent adult strategy is to redirect the child's attention or activity, perhaps with s promised reward; and if not, to issue a non-physical "time-out" (which may or may not be obeyed) as "punishment.
Do you wish to plant the seed of intransigence, of oppositional defiance? Well, that is the way, and it is a direct challenge to God's way of eliciting acceptable behavior, as summarized in the wisdom books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes; even to abolish it by calling in Child Protective Services to remove/affirm the child's will and punish the parent or teacher for exercising theirs.
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