Foolishness & Discipline

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. – Proverbs 22:15 

When I was a child I hated this verse!  My dad would often remind me, “Remember David, the Bible teaches how to remove foolishness”.  Often this was followed by a smirk and a gentle pat on the shoulders.  I had gotten the message! 

Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that way too often parents love their children’s emotions more than they do their children.  Parents fear discipline because of how it will make their child ‘feel’ for a moment or even a few days, and by doing so they sacrifice their child’s future potential. 

A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. – Proverbs 14:16

 Maybe you find yourself in this very position today, what can you do about it?  Discipline yourself!  You see the word discipline simply means training, and without training people have no direction and no feedback on whether they are headed in the right direction.  Take Paul’s counsel and begin to be a student and lover of discipline… 

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. – 1 Timothy 4:7-8