Proverbs 15:5
Discipline
can be something very unwanted. Sometimes we just want to do what we want to
do, and we don’t want anyone telling us anything different. We don’t want a
pesky conscience speaking up. We don’t want the Holy Spirit speaking. We just
want to do it without restraint. And this isn’t just the experience of
teenagers. As adults we sometimes get in this kind of stubborn mood. Don’t we?
It
can be very difficult to receive correction. It can “hit home” with more force
than you expect. Sometimes it can feel like a kick in the gut or a punch in the
face. And the person delivering the correction might be very gentle in their
approach, but at that moment it feels like a ton of bricks just fell on you.
If
we consistently reject these correction attempts, we will most certainly end up
in trouble. Our rebellious behavior will lead to destruction. We will end up
paying the bill.
As
parents we have a responsibility to bring correction. That is part of our job.
We can’t let a rebellious child not be brought back into alignment with
righteousness. We have a responsibility placed on us by the LORD, by society
and by our role as parents to help raise responsible, contributing members of
society. Even if all other parents fail, we have the responsibility to try to
succeed in this task.
Now
it is up to our children to respond to our correction. But this means that we
must know each child and tailor our correction to fit the “way” of each child.
Both parents and children have a part in this process. And even if the parents
don’t correct in the proper way, children are still responsible to listen to
the correction. We can’t blame our parents for the way we turned out. We must
step up to the plate and own it. We are who we are because of the choices we
have made. We can make different choices today than we made yesterday.
If
we listen to and obey, then we show prudence. Prudence is not a word we use
very often here in the United States. It means the ability to make moral
choices that are governed by reason. To put it another way, we don’t let our
emotions rule us. Emotions are just another set of information, like sight,
sound, smell, and touch. Emotions should be considered, but should not outweigh
all other factors in our life. This can be very difficult for a hormone driven
teenager!