The willing party

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

THE WILLING PARTY

Prov 19:18

18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

NIV

It would appear this saying is directed toward parents with small children. It would give direction to those parents to not spare the rod and thus spoil the child. It is far easier to pull up weeds in our flower beds when the weeds are but little sprouts then wait for them to take deep root and more difficult to dig out. This applies to the raising of our children. We are told, especially in this era, our children are the future of our country. Some are of the opinion it takes a village to raise a child. This concept has brought about the village attempting through social engineering to raise our children to agree with their agenda. But the fact remains it is the parents’ responsibility to bring their children to the correct understanding of life, which is directed toward God. When our children are young there is still hope to teach them the ways of God. As we know all our hearts are bent toward sin, which includes the heart of children. If we do not correct their ways, they will become bent toward evil and away from God. Once they have become young adults, and if not shown the way of God by their parents, the worlds system, the village, will have influenced them beyond reach. If the village has its grips on them, there are doomed to death. Parents cannot become willing partners with the village in the destruction of their children. While they are young it is the time to correct rather the spoil. This spoiling is to allow the children to behave in any manner they desire. It is often we see parents in public places who do not know how to correct their children. The child cries and the parent yields. If this behavior continues the child then learns how to control the parent rather than vice versa. The parent has become a willing party to the child’s death. We who are older are admonished to teach the younger. Let us not be afraid to speak up, in love of course, if the occasion presents itself, and the Spirit is leading our opening for conversation. Let us pray for the children, they find their way to God, not matter their family situation. Finding God and his correction is the only path which leads to life. No matter what age we are it still stands true that we are the children of God. This saying also applies to us in that way. When we were but babes in Christ we needed the correction and discipline of God to form a solid foundation for our faith. If, when we were saved, we floundered around on our own, not learning, not being mentored by mature believers, we might well have form patterns and behaviors they are not pleasing to God. In addition once we grew and formed our own opinions, we might have been spoiling ourselves, allowing beliefs that are not founded in the truth. This is also important for those of us who are mature in our faith, to teach those babes, while they are still young and have not been misled by so many voices of false doctrines. Once they have left the years of youth in the faith, they may well be on the road to destruction and it is far more difficult to bring them to understanding of the truth. Let us always be aware of the Spirits leading and not be willing parties to anyone's death.