I Should Have Read Proverbs This Morning
Today, I didn't do a very good job of being a dad. There are lots of ways I messed up but I'll just tell you about one of them and how it all might have been avoided if my son and I had read and applied Proverbs 10 this morning. One of my sons directly disobeyed me when he decided to do what he wanted instead of what I had told him to do. He should have had this on his brain:
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.(10:1)
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.(10:17)
So, what did I do? I took this as an opportunity to take all my frustration from the day out on him. I spoke to him in a harsh way and bullied him instead of patiently disciplining him in a loving way with the Gospel in mind. I needed to have this on my mind:
When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (10:19)
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off. (10:31)
There was one thing, by God's grace, that I got right. I knew that I had wronged my son and spoken too harshly to him. So, I went into his room and explained that he absolutely deserved the discipline he received, but that I had wrongly taken out my frustration on him. I told him that it was wrong for me to speak to him in the way that I did. I asked him to forgive me. He did. This scene reminds me of:
Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses. (10:12)
Would all of this had been avoided if I had read Proverbs this morning? I'm not sure. But, I'm really not sure I would want it to be different. My choice to sin was wrong for sure, but by God's grace, sovereignty, and promises He worked "all things for good."
Travis
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