THINK TOGETHER.
Who in your life disciplines you?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 1:2. To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
Do you know what a synonym is? A synonym is a word that can mean the same thing as another word. Solomon is going to use a bunch of synonyms for wisdom in the first few verses of the book of Proverbs.
The first synonym he uses is the word instruction. What is instruction? Instruction means training with discipline. Have you ever had a coach tell you to do something over and over again until you got it right? Or maybe your teacher drills you on your math facts until you memorize them all perfectly. Or your piano teacher fusses at you for not practicing enough. Or have mom and dad ever made you do something hard just because it was “good for you?”
This kind of instruction with discipline is important. It is good for us. It makes us wise. When we do things that are hard for us we learn not only how to do that thing, but we also learn to not give up, to work hard, to be patient with ourselves, and to keep trying. We learn what kind of person we are.
This is why God will often ask you to do hard things. Not to punish you, but to train you. God wants you to know two things: First that you are often capable of way more than you think you are and if you keep trying you can learn a lot of amazing things about the world he made. And second, God wants you to know that even if you don’t always get things right, he will always love you and he is happy that you tried hard and did your best.
But remember life is about way more than math facts, piano lessons, and sports. It’s about learning how to love others. Jesus came to not only do the hard things for us, but to instruct us in how to love others even when it is hard. Jesus knows that when we trust in his love for us we can love anyone, even when it is really difficult. And he knows that the more we love people that are difficult to love, the more we become what he wants us to be – a picture of himself.
Because of Jesus the hardest things are already done by him.
With Jesus we can do hard things like loving other people, even when they don’t deserve it.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Make a list of things that you are asked to do that are hard for you (homework, chores, practicing an instrument, mom and dad make a list too). Talk about how doing those things has made you wiser over time.
PRAY TOGETHER.
Jesus, you did all the hardest things for me so that I don’t have to be afraid to fail. Help me to do hard things knowing that you love me no matter what. Amen.
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