THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever been called stupid?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 12:1. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
As far as God is concerned there’s only one way to be stupid – hate his reproof (correction, discipline). Sometime we call each other stupid because we do something wrong or make a mistake. Or maybe we don’t know how to do something. But none of that actually makes a person stupid.
To be stupid in the Bible is to be like a stubborn animal who won’t listen to their owner. Like a donkey that just stands there, or a cow that refuses to budge. When we fail to listen to the correction of God and the adults that love us, we are acting like a stubborn donkey or cow.
But smart people love discipline. Wait what? Nobody loves discipline.
True, in the moment, being disciplined or corrected is tough to swallow, but part of growing up and maturing is learning to be thankful that there are people who love you enough to make sure you are learning how to trust God and obey him. Here’s how the New Testament says it:
Hebrews 12:11. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
You see discipline is a good thing. Without it we would grow up stupid, but with it we can learn to be peaceful and righteous. That’s what God wants for us, and that’s why God sent Jesus to live in our hearts and to correct us and teach us how to live like him.
Because of Jesus God will never give up on us, even if he has to discipline us.
With Jesus we can learn to love correction because we know we are loved.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
What discipline system do you use in your home? Talk about it together and make sure that everyone understands it (not everyone has to agree with it). Reassure your children that you discipline them because you love them, and God loves them.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, I don’t want to be stupid. I want to trust the correction and discipline that you put into my life through the people who love me. Amen.
TLICfamily 