Walk of Life – Day 29, September 2020 – Thoughts From The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

Once there lived a widow with her only son. The woman lost her husband when her son was very young. She worked hard to raise this child. She loved the boy very much. The boy also loved his mother equally. He always wanted to keep his mother happy. To see a smile on her face, he would do anything. One day he saw a beautiful rose in his neighbor’s garden. He went and plucked it while his neighbors were not watching him. When he gave it to his mother, his mother was so much happy and praised that boy instead of asking him from where he got it. As the boy grew older day by day, he started getting various things which his mother wanted or liked. In other words, he became a thief.

One day the boy was roaming on the roads, then he saw an old woman going that way. She had a beautiful chain around her neck just the one his mom longed to have. This boy went to that old lady and snatched the chain from her neck. The old woman resisted, but she could not help herself. She fell down to the ground, hit her head against a stone and died on the spot. Seeing this the young boy was terrified.

However, the people who saw this, caught him and handed him over to the police. For the crime he had committed, he was sentenced to death. The day before he was going to be hanged, the authorities asked if he had any last wish to be fulfilled. The boy requested them to allow him to speak with his mother. The next day when he saw his mother, he hugged her tightly. His mother cried bitterly as she hugged him back. Just then the boy pulled himself back and gave a tight slap to his mother which caused standing and watching there to be shocked. Then he said, “Mother, when I brought rose from our neighbor’s garden, when I brought vegetables, pens from school, when I brought money daily home without having a job, at all these times you said you love me. Today while I am standing in front of this rope, I realize that you hated me, you did not love me at all. If you had loved me, you would have questioned me and taught me not to steal. The slap which I gave you today, if you had given the same to me while I was wrong, I would not be standing here, in this position.”

This is a very familiar story to many of us. We as parents, many a times forget to correct our children as we get blinded in our love for them. There are few parents who proudly say, “I never raised my hand or never did I raise my voice against my son. He is always right.” That same boy can grow up to be stubborn and a trouble maker. Disciplining a child is very much important. Parents are the prime tutors for their children.

We are living in the days where children are being given complete freedom. Although few rights and laws are necessary to curb domestic violence on children, at the same time, under the cover of these laws many children are becoming trouble makers when they grow up. They refuse to listen to their own parents. Dear parent, remember one thing, if you are sparing the rod then you are spoiling your child. Do not follow the world, but follow the Word of God.

Recently while I was talking to my friend, he shared the woe of a parent who was complaining that their children are never listening to them.’ Do as I say, but not as I do’ does not work with children. A parent who does wrong cannot expect his child to do the right thing always. Children follow our footsteps. So, as a parent before you try to discipline your child, discipline yourself and set a good standard for him to reach.

The rod and reproof that we have in our spiritual life is the word of God. Many believers do not like it when they are exhorted through the word of God by God. They always want to be praised and blessed. In our spiritual lives when we accept correction from God, we get wisdom. When we reject the correction, we do things that bring shame to our heavenly father.

Let us be wise children of God.