Despising

Proverbs 3:11-12 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

There is an alarming trend in our culture today. For some segments of our society it is already rampant, and it has been for several generations. And thankfully there are voices calling for a course correction.

I’m not talking about the national debt, although that needs to be addressed as well. I am talking about the fathers lack of input into the lives of their children. Kids need what a father can give, not just the financial support. Kids need the course corrections that a father can provide.

I’m not saying that mothers don’t also provide this kind of correction. But mothers can’t do it alone. The father’s voice is a different voice in the ear of a child. And that voice is desperately needed for so many children.

I think that part of the lawlessness in our society is because fathers have been dismissed. They have been told their role is not important. Single mothers have become the status symbol for so many. And being a single parent is one of the toughest jobs out there!

But fathers have a voice that is needed. It is different from that of a mother. It sounds different. It comes from a different place than that of a mama bear’s heart.

The abusive man needs to be chastised. No one needs that kind of influence in their lives. But a strong voice from a man’s perspective is needed. The LORD made a pair of different in order to make a complementary matched set.

The LORD’s discipline is likened to that of a loving father’s. In this text it is the father’s discipline that is compared to the LORD’s discipline. When a father delights in his son, that discipline of that father is for the son’s good. It happens as an outpouring of his love.

Have you experienced this kind of loving discipline in your life? I hope so. This kind of disciple comes from a very different place than the harsh rebuke that so many have experienced. Love makes the difference.