THINK TOGETHER.
Do you ever wish your parents would just leave you alone?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 29:15. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
How did you answer the Think Together question above? Sometimes we can feel that way can’t we? We would like our parents to leave us alone. Often, as we get older and we are learning to be more independent, our parent’s input in our lives can seem both unnecessary or even annoying.
It’s important for you to understand that God gave your parents a very important job – raising you! Parents are told to raise their children in the Lord. Parents are never, ever supposed to leave their children to themselves. The best way to make sure that kids bring parents shame or embarrassment is to let them decide what they want to do for themselves.
Instead parents should use the rod and reproof. Yikes, that sounds rough. But it’s not rough, its love. When Proverbs says that parents should use a rod it means that they should have authority over their children. It is loving for parents to take responsibility for their kids, to be in charge, to give them guidelines and boundaries, and even to punish them when they disobey. But parents should not only punish their kids with the “rod,” they should also reprove their kids by teaching and instructing them.
In the twenty third psalm, David declares that the Lord is his shepherd. He says, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Shepherds used a rod to forcefully move the sheep in the right direction. When David thought about God using a rod to move him and discipline him, it brought him comfort not frustration. Why? Because the rod is a sign of God’s love. How can you know that Jesus loves you? When he disciplines you. How can you know that your parents love you? When they use their authority over you to correct you and guide you toward Jesus.
Because of Jesus we are loved and disciplined by God.
With Jesus we can know our parents love us when the discipline us.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Read Psalm 23. Parents are shepherds. How is the shepherd described? What does he do to take care of his sheep? Mom and dad, what do you learn from this?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, thank you that my parents love me enough to correct me. Help me to keep learning to trust and obey. Amen.
TLICfamily 