Proverb For the Week of August 10

He who spares his rod hates his son. But he who loves him disciplines him diligently (Prov. 13:24). The yuppy Christian parents who were raised on secular psychology as they came up through the ranks of the public schools practice spoiling and pampering their kids. They are sinning against the Word of God and virtually calling God "out of touch." That parent does not know what God has said in His Scriptures! They are sinning against their children and calling God foolish!    Secular psychology teaches self-esteem, self-actualization, and says that punishment puts shame on a child. That is correct, it does! And shame brings one to his knees and creates guilt. We should feel guilty when we've done something wrong! Now of course there is a balance to all of this. Physical punishment should be fitting to the crime. If there is lying, hurting someone else, continual defying the rules, the child needs some swats.    Many reading this have probably been at the grocery store where the mother is standing outside waiting for her kid to finish his fit. He throws rocks against the wall, falls on the concrete, yells and screams, etc. How dumb and stupid!    On Proverbs 13:24, on the verb hate the Rabbis write: "The verb is sometimes used merely with the comparative intention of not loving" though often meaning that the parent is mistreating the child by the lack of following God's commandments. "A man displays no love for a child by failing to correct him." But to chasten, "He does not overlook the child's faults and exercises disciplinary measures to eradicate them."    The old Calvinistic teacher, George Lawson, writes: "The foolish fondness of too indulgent parents is accounted by them parental love; but the Spirit of God calls it hatred. But he who loves his son chastens him as soon as he begins to discover that folly which is bound up in his heart." Chastening will be with spankings but also with directive words of guidance.    Dr. Mal Couch