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A New York court
recently ruled that a Long Island father used “reasonable force” when he
spanked his eight-year-old son for cursing at an adult. Previously, he had been
found guilty by a county court, but upon an appeal, the father’s use of a
spanking was not considered excessive punishment. In a day of child abuse
combined with alleged interference of the government into how parents raise
their children, many parents are afraid to use corporal punishment to correct
their children’s bad behavior. It is true that child abuse is a problem in our
country, and some corporal punishment would be considered abuse; however, a
spanking can be an effective means of child training and discipline. Proverbs
13:24 states, “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines
him diligently.” My mother’s translation of that verse when I was growing up
was, “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him wears him
out as it is needed.” Needless to say, my parents were not too worried about
courts, judges, and prying neighbors. They were more concerned about what God
had to say about disciplining their children. Therefore, an appropriate
spanking was used in my family, and I am better for it.
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Look at the first part of this
Proverb: “He who withholds his rod hates his son.” This is a powerful
statement. It is saying that one of the most profound ways we show that we love
our children is we discipline them in appropriate ways, even using “the rod.”
If a parent refuses to discipline his child, this lack of discipline is making
a strong statement about this parent. It says the parent loves himself more
than he loves his child. No parent who is emotionally healthy enjoys spanking
or disciplining their child. Many times we would rather not hurt ourselves by
hurting our child. This reveals that our love for our child is not strong
enough to lead us to give our child the very thing he or she needs most:
discipline.
I am glad that a New York court took
this stand and supported the father, but the father was supported by God many
years earlier when God led the writer of Proverbs to put child discipline into
proper perspective. What are your thoughts about this topic? Did your parents
use corporal punishment on you? Do you think spankings are an effective use of
discipline and child training? Share your thoughts below and pass this article
along to someone else.
