Pastor Arlene's comment yesterday was very encouraging to me. Praise God for people in our lives who have gone before us, done it well, and give good wisdom and insight to the younger ones. It is so encouraging.
These verses today seem like a lot of good wise instruction, and some just plain old advice. The first part seems like good plain advice about hanging around people that want to pull us into sin. It says "do not desire his delicacies for they are deceptive food." We have to walk with discernment and wisdom all the time. It even says that if we have a big appetite for something to put a knife to our throat! This just speaks to me to walk wisely and with discernment, keeping my guard up ESPECIALLY in situations where I've had a tendency to sin in the past of areas of weakness or struggle for me (that's the appetite part). I do think as we grow in God we begin to lose our "appetite" for sin, but we all have a sin nature that needs to be kept under wraps...so we've got to keep our guard up. If we hang out with the wrong crowd long enough, they'll eventually suck us in if we aren't walking with wisdom and discernment and we certainly shouldn't keep hanging around those circumstances or with those people for long. Also, it says "as he thinks in his heart, so is he." There are other verses in the Bible that talk about that....what we think or believe determines our attitude about ourselves, life, God, etc, which determines our character, which determines our destiny! It reminds me to literally get the mind of Christ about myself (and others) and to keep my identity wrapped up in Him.
The verses about parenting are also good. Verse 13 says "do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod he will not die." Sometimes it is hard to discipline my kids. It can almost be more painful for me than for them to have to give a spank or to have them take some "time out" to get a better attitude! But, they won't die from discipline. That is a good reminder. I like the reward of teaching my children discipline and training them in the way they should go in verse 15-16 though "My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will rejoice....my inmost being will rejoice when you speak right things." That is the truth!! Lord, give me grace to do it well, and grace for my children that they won't depart from it...that they'll make the choice in their life to cling to You!
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Great post and comments on raising children. I love the diversity we have on this blog in our ages - some in the middle of actually doing the job and others in the stage when we can look back and see how the hard work and even the mistakes we made God used for good in our lives and in the lives of our children.
In chapter 22 vs 20 Solomon told us that he would now list 30 wise sayings "filled with advice and knowledge. In this way you may know the truth and take an accurate report to those who sent you." So, I began reading and numbers each "wise saying" in the next few chapters. Many of them are repeats of what has been said already - letting us know that if something is important we need to say it over and over again. But ALL are for us to know and tell others. I love the practical ones - such as - 23:6,7,8 when it talks about people who invite you to dinner and tell you to each as much as you like and sit there thinking how much this is costing them - makes you not even want to eat at all and even throw up what you have.!!! If only people could actually read our thoughts - well - the Lord can!!!! These are so good - and yes, I counted 30!!
Check out Bo Stern's blog on the blog link. Goes along with our "raising kids" comments. And Lelia gave her testimony on her's this week.
When i was little and in the midst of a spanking encounter, my mom would always say just what you did in your post, Pastor Kirsten: "This hurts me more than it hurts you." And in my head (definitely not out loud), i would think, "No it doesn't! It hurts me!" (at least i never told her afterwards that it didn't hurt - unlike my brother!)
Well, Proverbs 22:13-14 encouraged me today. This morning i went downstairs and found that Tessa had spread her Lucky Charms cereal ALL OVER the basement floor! When i asked her to please pick them up, she refused. So, after asking her once more and knowing THE spoon (aka, rod of correction) was all the way upstairs, I prepared myself to follow through with the option i was about to give her: "Pick up your cereal or you will get a spanking." So i lugged my overhanging belly all the way upstairs, down the hall and back downstairs again. God really confirmed in my heart that i was doing the right thing, hard as it was for me physically b/c every stair step bumped the baby-in-utero against my upper thighs and stole my breath, and that giving of my time to carry through would give back a hundred times over for eternity in this little one. A little backbreaking heartbreak now is promised to save me and Dustin some heartbreak later!
I can 100% relate to that story, Heather! I live it about once a week! Sometimes taking the moment to discipline naughty behavior is completely not convenient. Either because of time (the pot on the stove will probably boil over while I'm giving this spanking) or fatigue (my one and only moment in the day to sit down and you are going to act up NOW?) or because I'm on the phone (why does someone always feel the need to get naughty when I'm on the phone?). So I am consistently reminding myself that following through now will be very worth it later. So far it has been true! I can also say that the times I have let other things get in the way of correcting behavior that needs correcting, I have lived to regret it later. The behavior shows up again, uglier than before. Can't let that thing take over the house! =)
Mothering certainly offers daily challenges and daily rewards. Wouldn't trade it for a million bucks! It's so good to read Proverbs and be encouraged that we are on the right track. And that our efforts will be fruitful in the future (and even probably today!)
I can absolutely relate to this too....and I am positive this happens to me way more than once a week! Maybe I'm not dealing with it well enough if it keeps happening! I don't know. :) Being a mother is awesome and wouldn't trade for a million bucks either, but I'm glad we're all in it together, going through the same things, and that Proverbs gives us lots of wisdom to talk about. It is really harder for me than for my kids. I'm convinced. I go to bed at night thinking about it, but they seem to get over it the minute the sting leaves their rear. I guess God knew what He was doing to let mother's have that little tidbit in proverbs like "dont' worry....that spank is ok...even if you beat him he would not die." Although, I know none of us are doing anything close to beating anyone, so thank you Lord to remind me that disciplining them is really for their benefit even though it is really true that it hurts me more than it hurts them!
Let me clarify... I DISCIPLINE over and over throughout every day, on average every 30 minutes. I've timed it. =) I have one of those - "I really, really don't have the time or energy for this" - kind of moments once a week. Sometimes I make the right choice, as did Heather. Other times I make the wrong one. I'm sure you're dealing with it just right, Kirsten! Persistence is the key, so I've heard! Did I spell that word right?
I know you discipilne more than once a week...I was talking about having those "I don't have energy for this" way more than once a week!!! That probably isn't good on my part! Oh well, I guess persistence and consistency, right? I think you spelled that right! :) This is funny. At least we all go through the same thing!!!
No kidding. If I did not have other people in my life going through the same things I was I would not have made it through even the PREGNANCY without thinking I was insane.
Trust us "older" women ... you're right on! Heather was easily disciplined with a word or "the look" ... Andrew was a different story. At 10 months he started checking authority. He LOVED electrical outlets. I remember one day saying to myself, after moving him away from the outlet with a swat to his well padded behind for the 10th time, I'm not getting up again. The Lord spoke to me very clearly ... YES YOU ARE ... be consistent. It's funny because in recent months Andrew and I were talking about this, and I told him that I was determined to win. You know what his answer was? I'm glad you won! So, young moms... be consistent and persistent... you're awesome!
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