Reading Plan:
Proverbs 13

Author: Mellanie Alexander

Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Every single time I read it, I find a new nugget of wisdom that I have overlooked before. It's no wonder that the goal of this book is to instill wisdom in God's people and give them practical ways to live out the covenant life God calls us to.

There are so many beautiful things about Proverbs 13. These verses are a source of guidance on how to live and how to create that picture-perfect family from the inside out. Though, the one that caught my eye is verse 24. It says, "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him."

I had to wrestle with this verse and do some digging into it. What does sparing the rod really mean? As a parent myself, I believe in discipline. I believe kids desperately need boundaries now more than ever. There are so many things in this world trying to pull them away from the truth of God's word and it's our job as parents to guard their precious hearts and minds as much as we can by protecting them with boundaries. But what is the correct way to discipline?

I read several commentaries and an image began to take shape within my mind. In Psalm 23, God is described as a shepherd. Do you remember what comforted David? God's rod and staff. The rod or staff was used to protect the sheep. It guided them. It was used to pull the sheep back into the fold when they went astray. The shepherd was always diligent to protect what was his. God does the same for us. I don't know about you, but when I go my own way, God tends to speak truth to my soul through His Word and the Holy Spirit. He shows me why He set boundaries for me in the first place. It's for my good and protection. He woos me gently back to him so I can confess and be restored.

I think God desires that we do the same for our children. We have to be diligent to carefully seek their correction. It's easy to ignore things and give them whatever they want. It's much harder to set up those boundaries and abide by them. It's also easy to fly off the handle when they do something wrong. I know. I have been there. I have apologized to my kids many times for not correctly handling a situation, but it's our job as disciples of Jesus to learn to discipline from a place of love and not anger. We have the awesome responsibility of molding these precious souls that God entrusted to us. We don't correct our children because we hate them. We do it because we LOVE them. We want the best for them. We don't want them to fall into patterns of sin. We must make this a priority in our lives. The good news is that it's never too late to start doing this. You can decide today that you will start setting boundaries and putting consequences in place. I'm afraid of what will happen if we don't do this. If we don't set boundaries for them and show them that there are consequences for sin, then who will?

I hope that while studying this passage, you seek God's wisdom and allow Him to show you how to set boundaries for your kids from a place of love. He is such a good, good Father to us. Let's be the same for our kids.


Reflection & Response:
• What steps do you need to start taking to make sure there are healthy boundaries in place for your kids? Make a list and commit to start doing them.
• Do you need to reevaluate how you discipline? Is it from a place of love? Pray and ask God to show you what needs to change when it comes to disciplining your child.

HAVE KIDS?

Use the content below to dive deeper into the Bible Reading Plan with your family.

Family Application: All Wisdom Comes From God

• The book of Proverbs tells a lot about wisdom. Most of the Proverbs were written by the wisest person to ever live, Solomon. When you read Proverbs, remember that there is so much wisdom in each line and that can help you make a good decision.
• Our God is so great that He says we just have to ask him for wisdom, and He will give it to us. Spend some time with God, and ask Him for wisdom.
• Tell God thank you for the gift of His word and instruction for our lives. One way to do this is to write a thank-you note telling God all the ways you are thankful.
• Prayer: God, you are so good! Thank you for giving me so much! God, help me to be wise through my actions and behaviors. Amen.