"The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."
I am sure that we have all read in our college psychology books that when we were a child, we developed our personality and traits int our first few years. By the time we hit adolescence, we have already solidified our conscious. We then spend the rest of our adolescents honing our thoughts, ideology and worldview. All of this development is done within thirteen years and we will spend the next seventy years living off of that early development. Now that I am a dad, I have come to realize the value of shaping my children in the way of God. I have a deep desire for my son and daughter to follow Christ and live a life that reflects it. I could only imagine thats how God feels when He sees us. I think I am beginning to understand why He gives discipline to His children.
"They have closed their unfeeling heart, with their mouth they speak proudly"
An old testament idiom for insensitivity was to say, "they have closed their fat." I have to be honest and say that I don't really get that, but none the less, I do understand the concept of insensitivity. I guess the really question should be, "What does it mean to be sensitive and have a feeling heart?" I think that concept is a difficult thing to wrap our brains around because we have allowed ourselves to become desensitized. We have become insensitive to politics, the homeless, the widows, the orphans, global poverty, the AIDS crisis in Africa and peoples need of hope that can only be found in Christ. Maybe a daily prayer could be, "Lord, keep my heart soft. Keep my heart sensitive to the needs of others. Let my words be of encouragement."
"A fool rejects (despises) his father's discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible."
A line is drawn. Foolish or sensible. Despise or regards. There is no middle ground. Discipline, thought hard to receive, is always for the best. I remember as a child thinking that my parents disciplined me for the fun of it or simply because it was a privilege of being a parent. As I grew older, I understood the value of my parents discipline. What I once perceived to be a cruel intention on my parents behalf was coming into the light of truly understanding their love for me. How often we despise the discipline of God in our lives. How often are we foolish to not see his love for us through His discipline. Let us be counted as sensible in His sight.