“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death” (23:13-18). There is no doubt that this principle has often been abused. Such abuses were a regular target of literary critique in novels of the Victorian era. From Oliver Twist’s workhouse to Jane Eyre’s Lowood Institution, nineteenth century authors worked to expose the cruelty of this professedly ‘Christian’ discipline. Arguably, however, no discipline is as harmful as harsh discipline. The latter is still a problem, but, in our time, the pendulum may be swinging the other way. Lack of discipline to back up clear boundaries can be very harmful for the development children. Good discipline is always a short-term consequence aimed at long-term blessing. That’s the way that God works with all of us who are his children. We too require discipline from God and, thankfully, “the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12). God protects us from long-term harm with his short-term discipline. We should not equate all suffering and hardship with God’s discipline. This is just the way the world is. But God guides his children and occasionally he does this by allowing us to suffer from our mistakes. But he never condemns his children, and he does not prolong discipline. His purpose is always to restore us and bless us as quickly as possible.
Reflect on these things and ask God what he wants to deal with in your life.
Read Proverbs 23:12-18
