This reading the Bible in a year is a great idea, but I must admit the conviction comes daily. Proverbs is such a wealth of wisdom and when you read along with a great commentary it really helps you understand.
The scripture that really touched my heart this week was:
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
Oh discipline is such a touchy subject and I am not wanting to start a war about applying the rod of discipline even though the bible does state that if you don’t you hate your son.
My conviction came with the word PROMPTLY.
Now my phrase for this year was NO EXCUSES (huge sigh) and I must say that I haven’t conquered this yet, I am still working on it, and when it comes to applying discipline, I don’t always do it promptly.
I have plenty of excuses as to why I let it slide, or not deal with it as promptly as I should.
In my perfect world I would be on top of all of it, the attitudes and actions of my children, but sometimes it is all overwhelming and I do zone out a bit, and sometimes I just don’t know which way to go with correcting the attitudes and especially the blame games that happen between our two youngest children.
In my perfect world, I would take them gently by the arm and lead them to the bedroom and have a meaningful discussion about what they did wrong, apply the rod if necessary and then bring us back together with prayer and repentance.
Now don’t get me wrong this does happen, but more often than not, I get frustrated and upset first. Sometimes their needing disciplining gets in the road of what I am trying to achieve at that moment, sometimes it’s just plain annoying.
See why this scripture was so convicting, this is something that I definitely need to work on.
Dealing with attitudes and disciplining promptly is so important and would probably help allieviate the frustration that comes from NOT doing it when I should.
Maybe my one word for 2015 should have been PROMPTLY and this would have gone really well with my phrase NO EXCUSES.
I absolutely agree that the most effective discipline is promptly and consistently. More often than not if I interject promptly, it doesn’t get to the point of the rod. Many times, these “opportunities” occur right in the middle of something I am trying to accomplish as well, so I completely understand where you are coming from. I turn the situation into “me” instead of “them.” I just want to finish the dishes first, or finish this project first, or… Something I’ve been intentionally working on at this time as well. Do it promptly. Thank you for the reminder and godly encouragement.
Blessings,
Thanks Deborah for sharing your thoughts with me, and thank you for encouraging me and making me feel not so alone in my ways. I truly only write to encourage myself but I am also glad if it helps others. Blessings
Promptly would be a good word as would the word orderly. I need both.
Definitely Laura, I agree, promptly and orderly. Thanks for your comment. Have a great week. Blessings
Terri,
Even though my children are grown, I remember feeling the same way. It’s so easy to get focused on my agenda and not God’s. I watch the young women (& dads, too) in our church and see the effort many of them put into parenting their little ones. Doing it right is hard work and not always convenient! Thanks for linking up at Mondays at Soul Survival. Pinning this on Mondays @ Soul Survival Pinterest board (and your others, too). Blessings!
Thanks Donna for your thoughts, it is hard work, but definitely worth it I agree. Blessings
I found, with my children, that discipline came in different ways. Many times, all that was required was a stern voice or expressing disappointment. Both were very effective. Most of the time, the only times I really had to “use the rod” were in cases where their physical safety was involved.
Of course, “the rod” could really be defined in different ways. Perhaps a scolding is a form of “the rod”.
Thanks Lisa for your comment and thoughts. I think if we discipline promptly the rod isn’t as necessary, as we get on top of their attitudes before a blow out. Thanks and blessings
I so agree with your feelings today. My daughter is on her own but I can remember the times I wasn’t as “prompt” as I should have been. I even have to face this with my husband – just this morning as I was working on my computer and he on his school work he said to me “turn and face me please so we can talk,” and I will have to tell you that part of me said inside my head, “Oh, no can’t this wait – I have ……. to finish.” I have to be honest – I’ve not been prompt in all God has asked me to do either !!! My prayer today is – God help me be on time to all you are asking me to do and say. Thanks so much for sharing. I always get “gems of wisdom” when I stop by. Blessings !!!
Thanks Rebecca for your kind and encouraging comment and for sharing your heart. I think we are all in the same boat with the same attitude and we should all pray that prayer. Blessings to you and yours.
I do feel that our “one word” can become more than one as God speaks to convict us in our journeys. No excuses is one that I need to explore myself and it does pair nicely with promptly. Thank you for these reminders today. Visiting you from Testimony Tuesday.
Thanks Mary for your encouraging and kind comment. Hope you have a great week and thanks for stopping by. Blessings
I think many of us can relate to this. CONSISTENCY would be a great word here as a partner to PROMPTLY. Thank you for sharing your edifying posts on the Art of Home-Making Mondays!
Yes Jes you are so right, consistency is another thing I need to work on and is a great partner for promptly. Thanks and blessings to you for stopping by and for your kind comment and thanks for hosting.
What an important word to point out! I had never really thought about this point and know exactly what you mean about not wanting to be pulled away from what I’m doing!
Thanks for highlighting this and being so frank : ) Visiting you from Woman to Woman Wednesday! Blessings!
Thanks Bethany for your encouraging comment and for stopping by. I so need to work on promptly doing things in many areas. Blessings
I can relate to this on so many levels. Procrastination is my nemesis. When I don’t know how to deal with an issue, I just don’t and hope it goes away. I wonder how many opportunities I miss by procrastinating?
Yes I find I can procrastine too, something I am always working on. Thank you for sharing with me and for your comment. Blessings
Promptly is a great word! I was speaking to a moms group recently and my toddler acted up. I stopped the middle of my talk and put her in time out then went back to speaking. (Small group of 20 or so friends, most whom I knew.) I knew I couldn’t let it slide even once. It takes such energy and patience, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that’s for sure!
Good for you Erin, your children are far more important than a moms group but you have also shown that they need to respect what you are doing. Good job. Thanks for sharing this great example with us. Blessing
This is such a great reminder. It’s important to be on top of it. If I am distracted and am not on top of a situation with my daughter, I try to remember this.
Yes, Proverbs is a wealth of wisdom! I read through entirely for the first time a few months ago . After taking a month to do that, I decided that I may try and do that once per year.
Thank you Emily for your thoughtful comment, I get so distracted and I really need to focus. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings
Promptly is an often overlooked word. But how powerful its impact is especially in that passage.
Have a blessed weekend ahead!
Oh yes you are so right Lux, it is so powerful, that’s what stopped me in my tracks. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Blessings
Great post! I’ve heard the quote, “if obedience is not immediate, it’s not obedience.” ❤️
Mmm that sounds quite right Beth, I know when you have to ask a child two or three times to do something they are really being disobedient, but then when God asks us 2 or 3 times to do something and we don’t we are being disobedient too. Oh to just do it the first time. Thanks for stopping by Beth. Blessings
Huge sigh along with you.
We need those proverbs to push us into righteousness. Thank you for your words. Linking with you at Still Saturday.
Thanks Michele for your comment and agreement with me. Blessings and have a great weekend.
Great post for young moms, but even this mom of adult children and grandmother was convicted. We never stop being parents to our children. My kids always hear me say, “When I am 90 and your are 70, I will still worry and be concerned for your welfare.”
Promptly confronting any difficult relational situation is very wise. Since Proverbs is the Book of Wisdom, I am not surprised the word “promptly” you “discovered” is placed exactly where it is. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Dear Karen you are so right we will always be concerned for our children no matter what age they or we are. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing you heart with us. Blessings
I liked reading this post! I came over from Spiritual Sunday. Our oldest son is in a relationship with a young woman who is single mom to a 7 year old girl. They are going to get engaged and our son just purchased his first home. I recently gave Brittany a book regarding Parenting as a Christian. I am trying to remember to ask each person I come across to pray for Jeremy, Brittany and Addy. She is a sweet and beautiful little girl but she likes to rule the roost and I have seen a a few examples of this already. My husband and I raised five children together. without consistency and discipline you will only hurt your children. I see many examples of this daily and I stop and pray for them. As a child my father had a stern look and that was all it took for me to shape up! My middle brother and sister were more engaging and a firmer hand was used for the two of them! Thank you for sharing this and I will be praying for you and yours as well as continue to pray for my son and his gf and her child. It was lovely to visit you today. Thank you and may your week be filled with many blessings.
Thank you so much Anne for stopping by and sharing your heart, I will purpose to pray for your son and his girlfriend and her daughter. It can’t be an easy situation and I pray that their union will be blessed and Godly. I was a bit like you, it only took looks from my mother and I behaved (most of the time) but a firm hand is sometimes needed and very necessary. I hope you were blessed by visiting here as I was by your visit, and may God lead and guide you and your family daily. Blessings