Discipline: Many people view discipline in a negative light – but not God. Proverbs commends two kinds of discipline: God’s and parent’s.
1. God (3:11-12). Scripture sees God’s disciplines in our life as one of the ways He demonstrates love for His children. In essence, the Lord loves us too much to allow us to go down the wrong path in life without correction. The issue is how we respond to that correction. Proverbs warns us not to reject or hate it, but rather to recall the motive: The Lord loves us, and delights in us. Nothing He brings into our lives is for the purpose of harming us – it is always for our good.
2. Parental: our parenting should mirror God’s. So, parent’s discipline their children because they love them (13:24). The goal is to train a child in the way they should live (22:15). And much of that is to drive foolishness from their heart (22:15), and gives wisdom (29:15).
