The Father’s Loving Rod

“Do not hold back discipline from the child. Although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, And deliver his soul from Sheol.”

 Proverbs 23:13-14

My father followed this instruction with me, so disciplining my sons came naturally. But as “NanaCUTE,” I find it difficult to watch my son, Ryan, discipline my grandchildren. I try to warn them of the impending danger before it happens. The girls usually listen, but my grandson, Judgy… let’s just say, he seems to enjoy testing the limits… until…

I repeatedly tell him, “you better stop.” I call him to repentance, but he stubbornly refuses to relent. Then the rod of Ryan comes out… a scene hard to watch. I want to rescue my grandson, but I can’t… I don’t… because I know the rod must be administered for his good.

Now I know the words “whipping” or “spanking” bothers some people, but not me. Godly discipline, with the goal to correct sinful behavior hurts, but never abuses. I received both of these words from my father with the rod and my boys received them from their father. Time out you ask? Nope… No such thing as “time out.” It only meant “time to go out of your mind” waiting for your father to come home to administer the rod. We all survived. But more importantly, the inappropriate behavior got corrected. 

Proverbs 13:24 states, “He who spares his rod, hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” So, the question boils down to, do you love your child? God uses the rod to discipline us simply because He loves us and wants to conform us to the image of His Son.

Most of us are familiar with the saying, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” How do you spoil the child? It really has nothing to do with letting the child get his or her way. You spoil the child by ruining their chance of being all that God created them to be. You spoil their opportunity to live a victorious Christian life. You spoil their understanding of grace and mercy. You prevent them from recognizing how God dispenses these two gifts to them and how they need to do the same to others.

God does the same to His children today. His discipline started in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Notice He didn’t beat them with a stick or belt, even though most view the rod as a stick or belt. It could be, but doesn’t always have to be. The rod represents any discipline that inflicts sufficient pain to discourage the bad and encourage the good. The purpose of the rod is to bring about repentance from individuals as well as entire nations.

For example, God took away all that Adam and Eve enjoyed living in a perfect environment. During Habakkuk’s time, the nation of Judah stubbornly refused to change their sinful ways. The prophet Habakkuk ministered to the people and repeatedly called them to repentance, but recognized the hardheartedness of his countrymen. God told him that the Babylonians would be His chastening rod upon the nation. The Babylonians lived more wicked than Judah, but God knew the exact rod of judgement to use.

Discipling my sons came easy because the Word of God told me to do it. But I confess, it’s different with my grandchildren. Messing them up and leaving it to their father to correct them works for me—and I do my job well (LOL)! In fact, Ryan and Branden often comment, “Mom, you would have never allowed us to do that!” No argument. I stand guilty.

But I notice one thing that concludes Judgy’s disciplinary process. I see the before and after… the outcome of the rod. Once Judgy receives the rod, he spends time crying his heart out and retreating to his room. But after a while, he comes out and goes to his father. Ryan opens his arms to him, hugs him and explains why the rod of correction occurred. Judgy apologizes by saying, “I’m sorry” and Ryan affirms his love for him.

Sounds familiar? Proverbs 3:12 reminds us “For whom the LORD loves, He reproves…” Our Heavenly Father knows the exact rod to use to get the outcome He desires. We sometimes find ourselves wailing our hearts out and retreating to our rooms. But after a while, when we come to our senses, we come out and go the Father. His arms always remain wide open to receive us. His Word explains why the rod occurred and when we humble ourselves in true repentance, God affirms His love for us.

I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful for the Father’s loving rod of correction. It proves that He loves me and desires for me to look like His Son. Even though the correction hurts, and I try to avoid it as much as possible, I know He does it for my good and His glory. And when I come to my senses and repent, I know His arms remain wide open to receive me. 

 Why? Simply …

Happy Father’s Day

to all fathers who administer the loving rod to their children, whether their children are by birth, adoption, or mentorship!