First of all, I am a Christian Seventh-Day Adventist. I believe in following the Bible in all areas of life. I believe it when the Bible says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16 Teaching, rebuking, correcting and training sounds like child-rearing to me. Isn't that what we do with our little ones every day?
What else does the Bible have to say? Let's take a little look...
"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Proverbs 13:24
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15
"The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to itself disgraces his mother." Proverbs 29:15
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it." Hebrews 12:7-9
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11
The question that I have is why do Bible following people seek the world's input on how to train their children. When I asked that question about the "rod of correction" on the mother's group page on Facebook, the number one recommended source of child-training guidance was The Supernanny. Nobody believes in the "rod of correction." One source on the Internet said that Jewish and Christian scholars are trying to "explain away" the mention of the "rod of correction" in the book of Proverbs. Some just throw it out entirely. Our culture has watered down godly parenting, and even Bible following parents have fallen for it.
Who has more children, God or Supernanny? Who has been around longer? Who is wiser and more loving? Who can see the bigger picture? Who should I trust my children to?
Is there a biblical way to discipline our children? Yes, there is! The God of the Bible does not change. He is the same now as He was in the New Testament and He was the same in the New Testament as He was in the Old Testament. He never changes. His ways of disciplining, therefore, do not change either. In His Word, he has shown us ways to train our children. If we would see our children trained in righteousness, we must follow the Word of God.
Our commitment to the Bible and the Bible only should encompass all of our lives, including how we raise our children. The book that I mentioned at the very beginning, Raising Kids Who Hunger For God, is an amazing, Bible-based book that I have really been blessed by reading. I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking to follow God's method of child training and discipling.
May God bless us all, and our children, as we seek the best way to raise them to be workers for Him. May we see them give their hearts and lives to Him.
