Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.
Proverbs 19:18
King Salomon tells us that if parents do not discipline their children, they are willing parties to their death. That is harsh, but he knew what he was talking about. Remember that his brother Absalon tried to kill his father, King David, to usurp the throne of Israel. Instead of disciplining him, King David pampered his son, and Absalon ended up dying hanging from a tree.
David was a great warrior and king but not the best father. He was an absentee father who spent a great deal of time battling Israel's enemies and even more time building his country's defenses. David knew he was not the best example of a father at the end of his life, as most of his children were a mess.
His final recommendation to Solomon was not to follow in his footsteps but to do what the Lord his God would tell him (2 Kings 2:3). David knew that he made many mistakes as a father. We don't know if he felt guilty for always being absent or too busy to run his house, but we know that David was not the best disciplinarian.
Salomon grew up in that messy family and saw the fruits of a lack of discipline. If the wisest man who ever lived tells us to discipline our children, we better listen. I know disciplining children is not easy, and most of the time, it is not popular, but if you do not correct your children when they need correction, you contribute to their destruction.
Appropriate discipline comes out of love. You discipline your children because you believe in their potential and hope they will have a great future. You discipline your children to protect them from making wrong decisions and to guide them in the right direction. You also discipline your children because it is Biblical.
When you look back at the end of your life, what do you think will matter to you? It won't be popularity or the opinions of others. What will matter to you is knowing that you have equipped your family with the tools they need for success. I guarantee you that some of those tools for success will be the qualities you instill in your children every time you correct them with love.
Don't let guilt or misconceived ideas about discipline prevent you from enriching your children's lives. Correct them when they make mistakes, and ask them to follow biblical principles. Even if your children hate discipline now, in the future, they will love its fruits and will love you for disciplining them.
Comments