March 18 -- "The Rod of Reproof"

 Today’s Reading: Proverbs 29

"The Rod of Reproof"

The Bible has much to say about parenting and raising children. Not the least of which is that parents have the solemn responsibility to raise their child in the ways of the Lord, teaching them His truth, and guiding their soul to eternal life. One of the greatest blessings a parent can receive is when they look at their child and see that they are walking with the Lord. As the Apostle John wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth” (3 John 1:4).

One means of guiding our children into the ways of the Lord is to correct them and reprove them when they get off track. According to Proverbs 29:15, doing so gives them wisdom. There are nearly 40 verses in the Bible about the need to administer the “rod” when a child acts improperly or rebelliously. The literal understanding of this is to “spank” the child as the means of correction.

In our modern world, many reasons are given for not spanking a child. Most of those reasons assume that spanking is an act of anger or cruelty. Spanking, they say, is too harsh and abusive. They teach that discipline can be administered in various other ways such as reasoning with the child, giving them a “timeout,” or withholding some form of enjoyment (e.g. “screen time”). While these forms of correction do have their place, there are situations where it is not possible to reason with a child. In these situations, the Bible advises the rod of reproof as a means of correction and admonishment, especially when the child sets his/her will in direct defiance of the parent.

It is needful to balance these things with our children, and again, only the Lord can give the necessary wisdom. Some children have very tender consciences and are far more sensitive to reproof than others. They may need relatively few actual punishments. Others are born with strong wills and, when they are young, may need rather frequent visits from the “rod” to teach them.

Always keep in mind that any form of correction must always be done in love and with the motivation of guiding your child to be a happy and obedient follower of Christ. Discipline must never be done in anger or because you’ve “lost your temper.” And, most importantly, every visit from the “rod” must be followed immediately by genuine forgiveness by the parent and reconciliation with the child.

This is how God corrects us because He loves us. And, like Him, this is how we show love to our children.