Our text for today is Proverbs 29:17
“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.”
After reading this verse, I want to shout “Don’t stop now. Tell me more about how to do this.
The story is told of one man who was called to bail his son out of jail. As he left for the jail, a nosey neighbor said, “If he were my kid, I’d leave him in jail.” The father answered, ““If he were your kid, I’d leave him in jail too.”
One of the curses of being the oldest child is having kids before your siblings and listening to them tell you how to raise your child. You hear famous words like, “When I have kids, they will not…”
One of the joys of being the oldest child is watching your younger siblings have children and seeing those children do exactly what their parents said they would never do. It is easier to discipline and control other people’s children better than you can your own.
To understand the principle behind this, read 1 Peter 4:8, “Love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” The reason my kid’s sins are not as bad as your kid’’s sins is because I love my kids and “love covers a multitude of sins.” It is the way of love to look past faults and imperfections.
Without this truth, the imperfections of those with whom we live nearly 24-7 would becomes so glaring that their faults will drown out the good.
Without this principle of love, the wonder of marriage changes to “I wonder what went wrong.”
Look one more time at that great text, 1 Peter 4:8, “Love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Now read it again and this time stop after the word “covers.” It now reads ““Love each other deeply, because love covers…”
Yes it does. Love covers…whatever. That is the secret of living together in happiness.
Lonnie Davis