Father Knows Best!

            “The way to stop violence in America is to stop spanking children,” argued psychologist John Valusek.  In a 1977 speech to the Utah Association of Mental Health, Valusek declared that parental spanking promotes the thesis that violence against others is acceptable.  “Spanking is the first half-inch on the yardstick of violence,” said Valusek.  “It is followed by hitting and ultimately by rape, murder, and assassination.  The modeling behavior that occurs at home sets the stage: I will resort to violence when I don’t know what else to do.” 
            His logic is airtight, isn’t it?  Why, just think, is feeding a child the first half-inch on the yardstick of gluttony?  Is hugging a child the first half-inch on the yardstick of immorality?  Unfortunately, Mr. Valusek did not realize that there is a qualitative difference between discipline and violence just as there is between eating and gluttony, hugging and immorality, and all other acceptable human behaviors and their exaggerated extremes.  To not see the difference is to surrender a part of our humanity to inhuman machines and for Christians it means being disobedient to God’s will for parents.
            The Word of God states clearly, “He who spares his rod of discipline hates his son, but he who loves him diligently disciplines and punishes him early” (Proverbs 13:24).  I believe that the greatest element involved in building a child is loving discipline.  Denote: Love makes the difference!  Love keeps everything balanced.  Love promotes the best in a person.  And love must be the motivating factor for disciplining our children. 
            The Lord says, “And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you His child?  He said, ‘My son, don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you.  Don’t be discouraged when He has to show you where you are wrong.  For when He punishes you, it proves that He loves you.  When He whips you it proves you are really His child,’ so let God train you, for He is doing what any loving father does for his children.  Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected?  If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all, that you don’t really belong in His family” (Hebrews 12:5-8). 
            This raw truth has held strong for millenniums, but the humanists have worked aggressively to degrade it by calling it antiquated and out of place.  So answer these questions for yourself: Are we better off today than when most people followed the tenets of God’s Word?  Is our world a safer place today?  Are our children better educated than before W.W.II?  The Humanist Manifesto declares that the traditional dogmatic religions that place God or creed above human needs or experience do a disservice to the human species.  Oh really!  The Word of God is the manual that God gave us to operate by and if we will get back to its basics we will see the world a better place.  For more information you can visit us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.