Blogging Through Proverbs Part XVI - 3:11-12

Studying: 1 Peter
Memorizing: Romans 1:1-23
Thoughts: Good

"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof, for whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights." - Proverbs 3:11-12, NASB

I had to "spank" Isaiah this evening. Since we don't think he has much feeling in his little bottom we spank the palm of his hand. Why did I have to do this? Well, during dinner I looked up from my plate to notice him holding his sippy cup upside down spilling his juice all over the floor. Now, Isaiah is only two, but he knows better. We know he knows better because we've told him this is now allowed. We've caught him mid-action several times just about to spill his drink. All it took was a strict look from either me or Cristy and he would nervously pull the cup back on top of his tray with the "I wasn't going to do anything look." But why did I have to do this? I had to do it because I love him.

The fact of the matter is, that if I didn't love him I'd let him keep doing this sort of thing, just spill drinks on the floor, scream when he doesn't get his way, push me away when I try to take something from him. If I let disobedience and sin go on in his life it would not only mean that I didn't love him, but that, in fact, that I hated him. I would be teaching him that it's okay to sin, and that I did not care about his soul. By God's grace Isaiah is a very well behaved child. For this we are very thankful. Very rarely do we need to give him more than a verbal reprimand, but there are times like tonight when it is necessary, when direct willing disobedience has taken place.

When we spank him we try to be very careful to instill in him that we, as parents, must spank him because we are being obedient to God, and he also must be obedient, that disobedience to mommy and daddy is primarily a sin against God. We swat the palm of his hand three times with the handle of a plastic spoon, love him and then pray with him. When the punishment is over it's over, we don't drag it out or hang it over him.

God does the same thing with us if indeed we are his children. God disciplines us, reproves us and causes us to shaped and molded more in the image of Christ. He does this in love, and in many ways receiving discipline from the hand of the Lord can be a comfort. Through it I know that the Lord loves me.