Is it WRONG to ‘CORRECT’ our CHILDREN?
July 6
Bible Reading: Proverbs Chapters 22-24
Is it WRONG to ‘CORRECT’ our CHILDREN?
"Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words
of knowledge. Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with
a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul
from hell."
(Prov. 23:12-14)
The Book of
Proverbs is straightforward about the need to discipline children in order to
bring them into adulthood with strong character and the ability to make wise
choices. By correcting one’s children, a parent can steer them away from more
powerful forms of evil and ultimate destruction.
However, we
have come to an age when disciplining our children is being equated to abuse
and child cruelty. The lawmakers in our country should take a moment to read
the words of instruction that the wise King Solomon has penned down for all his
readers. He has asked us to apply ourselves to instruction and words of
knowledge with regards to raising our children.
For
justifying the nature of discipline that we should impose upon our children
with an objective of correcting them, Solomon has made a declarative statement
that needs to be noted: ‘children are often foolish in their talk and
behavior’. This is what Solomon declared: "Foolishness is bound up
in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him"
(Prov. 22:15). So, the basic observation of Solomon is that children are naturally
bound to be foolish and they behave foolishly since they are immature
physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Parents have God-given
responsibilities to correct their own children and train them in godly fear. "Train
up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from
it." (Prov. 22:6)
During the
process of training up our children, it is possible that our children will deliberately
choose to disobey our instructions even after repeated instructions to them on
the contrary. The reason for them to do that is due to the lack of
reverential fear towards their parents. This is when the ‘crime and
punishment’ theory will apply. The children should realize that they should
revere and honor their parents, and reflect that through their attitude of
obedience. If they disobey, they should be scolded verbally or punished through
beatings that will instill a fear against repeating their foolish talk and
actions. Of course, the beatings should never come close to physical, mental or
emotional abuse, which is something God hates as well.
We should
note that instead of disciplining his wicked sons, Eli rebuked them with a mild
“Why do you do such things?” (1 Sam. 2:22–25). He fostered a
permissiveness that brought ruin on his house, on the priesthood, and on the
nation. Even prophet Samuel did not properly discipline his children (1 Sam.
8:1-5) even after he saw the tragedy that happened to Eli and his sons.
Please
understand that godly wisdom cannot be lightly imparted. Disciplined training
is of great value for the child; his momentary suffering will preserve him from
the ruin that is bound to accompany the undisciplined life. The Bible teaches
that spanking is to stem from an attitude of love and patience (Heb. 12:3-6),
and is a necessary part of nurturing spiritual development (v. 14).
Let us not fail to correct and discipline our children in order that he or she might have wisdom and bring us joy in the future (vv. 15–16). "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Heb. 12:11)
