- Lesson 7 in the Connect360 unit “The Search for Wisdom: Words to Live By” focuses on Proverbs 13:24.
The believer in Christ is fortunate the Lord does not make demands of us that are unreasonable or impossible. He leaves it to us to trust him with the impossible. We are to merely be obedient and faithful to him.
God’s grace is his unmerited favor toward us. It is God giving to us what we do not deserve. God’s mercy is his withholding of what we actually do deserve. Thank God for his grace and his mercy even in the administering of discipline.
When God disciplines us, he is correcting and instructing us in order for our lives to be properly aligned to his will and way. Ultimately, the Lord is helping us look more like him.
God disciplines us in such a way that shows his instruction toward us, even when unpleasant at times, is not only symbolic of his love in the action, but also in the way he administers such discipline toward us. Parents today would do well in striving to model such a style of discipline for their children.
Colossians 3:21 encourages fathers not to provoke their children to wrath, otherwise you discourage the child. In other words, constant, unending criticism and harsh words could lead to irritation and discouragement for the child. Imagine how quickly bitterness and lack of self-worth would enter our hearts if the Lord mercilessly and carelessly imparted discipline toward us. We might grow doubtful of God’s love for us.
But God gives a healthy balance, as should parents. The Lord encourages us, but he also tells us the truth about our state of being. He loves us too much to leave us in the same pitiful condition. We can ask the Lord to help us to work out that delicate balance.
Ephesians 6:4 echoes the same message as Colossians 3:21 but adding that fathers should bring up their child “in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
The training that is mentioned in the text refers to a type of instruction that should result in the development of certain daily habits. It is a good sign to see a child praying to the Lord because they’ve been raised to. It is a good sign to see a child, and even an adult, love someone who may be difficult to love. They are modeling what they have been instructed to model. And the training does not end in childhood. Believers in Christ go through a lifetime of training.
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