Proverbs 22:15

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him.

Recently I read an article where a Georgia school teacher who recently won “Teacher of the Year” was leaving the profession; he decided to stop teaching. There were a number of reasons that led to his frustrations, but one reason stuck out to me: he wanted to teach and not spend his time “managing behavior”.

This point was very familiar to me. I have several close relatives in the education field. Some have been in the field for over 20 years. And what I’ve heard over and over again is that student behavior is a huge problem in the classroom. It keeps teachers from doing what they are paid to do – teach. And it all starts at home, with the parents.

Fortunately the Bible provides some guiding principles that we will cover in the next few posts.

In Proverbs 22:15 “foolishness” comes from a word that has the same root as “silliness”. We must remember that all of us, including our children are born with a sinful nature. We have to teach our children:

• Not to lie
• Not to be selfish
• Not to take things that belongs to others
• Not to be self-centered
• Not to cheat
• Not to be lazy
• Not to be disrespectful

And the list goes on. Our very nature is to think and do foolish things; things contrary to the nature, commands and principles of God. If not corrected, children can do great harm to themselves and others, especially as adults. That’s why they have to be corrected – disciplined in a loving, godly and consistent way.

As parents we need wisdom from God so we will know when to correct, how to correct, what form of correction to use, how long to apply the correction.

Are you seeking God on how to discipline your children? If not, start now. You could be saving them and yourself from a lifetime of headache and heartache.