April 24 | Disciplining Children

Series | The Wisdom of Proverbs, Part 1

Scripture | Proverbs 13:24, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.”

Lesson 24 | Disciplining Children  

Today as parents we have a choice to either obey what God said in His eternal unchanging word or what the trendy every changing culture says.  In the past corporal (physical) punishment for children was a given.  It’s how children from Biblical times to colonial times were disciplined and taught respect.  And lets just think about how well it worked… chances are your grandparents were spanked, thus, do you think your grandparents were better behaved then our children today?  Of course!  The question itself is almost laughable.

Our current generation, especially in the US, has the highest level of obesity, crime, rebellion, lack of respect, violence, perversion, and laziness known to the planet!  So why do parents keep following Dr. Phil and Oprah’s advice over the Bible?  Simple, parents have been convinced that spanking their children is the same as child abuse.  They have believed the lie of our “politically correct culture” that punishment shouldn’t “hurt.”  This kind of thinking has even lead to the removal of the death penalty for murders and rapists and made the prison system a joke to criminals.  Hence, the reason criminals have no fear or respect for the law.

Some might ask, “What about the parents that have abused their kids?”  To that I answer, “The parents should be arrested and put into jail!”  Just because someone abuses a thing doesn’t mean we should reject it.  Abuse and misuse shouldn’t lead to disuse, but rather proper use.

Here are some helpful ways to carefully discipline your child, (1) Never spank out of anger, (2) Only spank to give the sense of discomfort, not injury.  Red marks should totally disappear within 20-30 minutes, anything that last more than that is injuring the skin, tissue, and muscles, (3) Only spank on their butt (or a simple swat on the hand), (4) Do not spank more than 2-3 times, (5) Never spank with your full strength, (6) Always give a teaching before and after the spanking so the child can understand why they are getting spanked, (7) Afterwards, comfort the child to let them know you still love them, and (8) Spanking is less affective after 10-11 years old, thus be sensitive to when to discontinue the practice.  

If you cannot carefully spank your child and follow the guidelines above, than please don’t spank your child at all because you may injury and abuse them.  However, I believe by the power of the Holy Spirit God can lead you to discipline them in a healthy way and thus show your love for them by reminding them of the consequences of sin.

Reflection | Do believe its Biblical to spank your children? 

Action | (1) Repent of any wrong thinking you may have had about spanking, whether to not do it at all or to do it in an abusive way. (2) Ask God to teach you the best way to discipline your child. (3) Lastly, next time you discipline your child, remember, your heavenly Father is watching and one day will judge you on how you raised your kids.

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Judges 2:10-3:31, Luke 22:14-34, Psalm 92:1-93:5,Proverbs 14:1-2. Click here to read online.