PROVERBS 5
7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.”– Proverbs 5:7-14
PROVERBS 5 LOVE DISCIPLINE AND REPROOF
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The Lord God disciplines those who belong to him
If you love him, you’ll heed his reproof in order to avoid sin
To love discipline is to protect oneself from the world’s corruption
To hate reproof will lead you to utter ruin and destruction
Do not allow yourself to be swayed and seduced by evil ways
Keep your mouth from speaking lies and focus on the right path.
Who wants discipline when you are actually going through it? We naturally hate to be corrected or be told what to do or cautioned not to proceed with something we love to do. This is our sin nature. But we can learn to love discipline if we understand the reason behind such reproof.
The world views discipline as a restriction from pleasures or desires. They think it kills the joy of life. But God’s purpose for disciplining us is always for our own good, never for our ruin. Human discipline on the other hand, involves control and power and can sometimes be selfish in its agenda.
Solomon warns us to run from those who plot evil. He focuses on discipline as a tool so that we can be protected from ruin and destruction.
REFLECTION
- When can discipline be a bad thing instead of a good thing?
