“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
Allowing your children to get their way is not an expression of love for them!
A good parent loves his or her children and takes great joy in giving them meaningful gifts. A good parent likes to see his or her children happy and enjoying life. God is the greatest Parent, the one that we should look to for our pattern in parenting. He loves to shower us with good things, with blessing, with his provision.
But God does not always give us what we want, does he? No, he sets boundaries and warns us of consequences if we cross those boundaries. When we ignore his warnings we experience the consequences!
As you raise your children, you need to understand that the way you treat them will have a huge impact on how they view God. They will think of God in the same terms as they think of you. In today’s verse, God is letting you know how he wants you to represent him to your kids.
I hate having to discipline my kids, but they have come to know that my disciplines are an expression of love and that I am training them to be good adults. After I’ve disciplined them, my kids turn around and cuddle with me, usually ending with, “I love you daddy.” Your kids need loving discipline.
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