Help, I'm A Parent!Sample

  

Introduction

While there is no consensus among parents on how children should be disciplined, most agree that discipline is important in raising children. The sage of the book of Proverbs explicitly notes that discipline is an essential ingredient in child rearing. It’s also worth noting that the December 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics entitled “Effective Discipline to Raise Healthy Children” suggests that appropriate discipline is directly related to the normal development of a child. 

Pray

God, I need wisdom to act responsibly as a parent. Please give me courage to apply discipline appropriately. 

Read

A short saying on disciplining children.

Proverbs 13:24

Reflect

In ancient Near Eastern culture, physical punishment was often the mode of discipline for wayward children or anyone acting a fool. However, the focus of this verse and others in Proverbs is not the mode of discipline but the need for discipline. As we explored in yesterday’s reading, demonstrating love should be foremost in whatever we do, even in the way we discipline our children. Love-fueled discipline will be undergirded by patience, kindness, and mercy.   

Respond

What are your thoughts about disciplining your child/ren? Do you have markers that tell you if you’re administering discipline in a godly way? If this is a cloudy area in your parenting, pray and ask God to teach you how to apply discipline with love.