Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. – Proverbs 13:24 (NIV)

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. – Proverbs 13:24 (KJV)

52 Proverbs in 52 Weeks – Week 25
This week’s theme:  Godly Families

This is our 5th and last week on the theme of Godly Families, and this week’s verse tackles a subject that’s often not very popular:  discipline.

As we discussed briefly in week 6 (see Proverbs 3:11-12), loving parents discipline their children;  not because they enjoy handing out punishment, but because they truly love their kids and want what’s best for them.  This week’s verse, Proverbs 13:24, really drives that point home.

How many of us would say we hate our own children?  Hate is a strong word, but it’s the word God chose to use here.  He tells us that, if we withhold discipline from our children (i.e., if we “spare the rod”), then we hate them.  If we love our children, however, we’ll be “careful to discipline them.”  And, just in case we didn’t get the message clear enough here in Proverbs 13:24, God re-emphasized His guidance multiple times in Proverbs:
Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. – Proverbs 19:18 (NIV)
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. – Proverbs 23:13 (NIV)

So…these verses beg the question…why does God place such importance on disciplining our children?

Part of the answer lies in the purpose of discipline.  Throughout his commentaries, the late Dr J. Vernon McGee emphasized a distinction between discipline and punishment.  Paraphrasing his words, he noted that the purpose of discipline is to provide correction whereas the intent of punishment is, as the word implies, to punish.  With this distinction in mind, note that God consistently impresses upon us to discipline our children.  When a teacher corrects mistakes in a student’s work, that teacher is helping the student learn and improve.  If, however, a teacher simply leaves mistakes uncorrected, then that teacher’s students will continue to do the wrong things and will not improve.  Thus, the teacher who provides correction is the one who really cares about the students.

Similarly, as parents we provide correction to our children in the form of discipline because we truly care for them.  The purpose of that discipline is to correct their mistakes, to help them learn right from wrong, and to train them for their lives ahead.  If we withhold correction, then we rob them of the chance to learn, improve, and prepare for their future.  Discipline, therefore, is an important aspect of the Godly family, and it’s administered as an act of love.

In closing, let’s be reminded that our Heavenly Father disciplines us for the same reason—because He loves us dearly and wants us to enjoy His greatest blessings.  Read more on that topic from week 6 here:  The Lord’s Discipline.

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