Proverbs 19:18 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God says...

“Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.” (Proverbs 19:18 NKJV)

He gives light on the substance of spanking to enable parents to realign a child's deviant direction. When I was a child, I hated being spanked. I couldn't understand why pain had to be inflected on me when all I did was to eat ahead before everyone gets to the table. I asked why a father whips his son with a belt for sneaking to get out of ‘siesta’ time and play with fellow kids in the block. I did not understand why the need for severe punishment to be meted.

Later on, while by myself negotiating the complex road of life towards my destiny, and now looking back I realize, it was neither about eating nor sneaking to play. It was about breaking guiding words. I was told, but never listened. I repeatedly broke the established guidance of decorum. Now I see, observance of guidelines is vital in navigating life to arrive at our charted port of call.

I began to appreciate it, when I arrived at a place where no one from the place where I came had ever set foot before me. Because my parents did one of the most difficult things they got to do - they inflect pain on their son for the sake of discipline. The key is to discipline, not to destroy. Not like some parents do, as they set their heart for their children's destruction, by not correcting them. Yes some, they beat their children for hate, not for chastisement. It is woeful and must not happen. But, it is a crazy world. Even with that, lessons can be learned when it causes a child to run away from it and seek refuge with God.

Though my parents had been harsh and tough in their punishment, they did not destroy me. Rather they undergird me with strength to withstand the challenges and temptations of teenage years. Alone, with God my only comfort and refuge - His grace was more than enough. Yes, discipline is painful, but worst it would be to lose one's life and soul for the lack of it. It is a pain only for a short time that leaves a valuable jewel of character for a lifetime.

In the physical sense, discipline is an incongruous expression of love. But it sets us up for God's high call, as children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. The Bible says: "For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:10, 11 NLT)

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

(When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.)

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.