Proverbs
10: 13 says, “Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for
the back of one who has no sense.”
How
many times do the Proverbs talk about lips and what comes out of our
mouths? A lot! I’m sure it’s because out of our hearts is
what then surfaces in our mouths.
Discerning
people show good judgment. In other
words, they think before they speak and act, and they determine the best way to
go and then they go that way.
However,
those who have no sense (no discernment) need a “rod to the back!” Ouch!
Imagine
with me a shepherd on a hillside with a flock of sheep, a few of whom are
headed towards the edge of a drop-off. The
shepherd is going along a safe path away from the edge, but these few sheep
keep wandering too close for comfort. They
have no sense. The shepherd takes his
staff and prods the sheep who are wandering in order to get them back with the
flock. Is that mean? No, that’s love.
We,
as parents, are given the opportunity and discernment to lead our kids along a
safe path, and it’s up to us to pull them back to safety if discernment is
lacking – due to immaturity or just poor judgment. It’s this kind of love that makes immature
kids grown into wise adults with discernment on their lips.
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