SEPTEMBER 17, 2012
Correct
Them
Read: 1 Samuel 2:12,27-36
Why do you
. . . honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat
with the best of all
the offerings of Israel My people? —1 Samuel 2:29
Therapist and mother
Lori Gottlieb says that parents who are
obsessed with their children’s
happiness may actually contribute
to their becoming unhappy adults. These
parents coddle their children,
do not equip them to deal with the real world,
look the other way
when their children do wrong, and neglect disciplining them.
In 1 Samuel, we read
that the high priest Eli sometimes looked the
other way. We don’t know what he
was like as a father when his boys
were young. But he failed to properly deal
with their behavior as grown
men serving in God’s temple. They were selfish,
lustful, and rebellious,
putting their own needs ahead of God’s Word and the
needs of the
people. At first, Eli rebuked them but they would not listen.
Instead
of removing them from service, he looked the other way and let them
continue in their sin. As a result of his sons’ sins and because Eli
honored
his sons above the Lord (1 Sam. 2:29), the Lord warned Eli
that his family
would suffer judgment (v.34; 4:17-18).
As Christian parents,
we have the awesome responsibility to lovingly
discipline our children (Prov.
13:24; 29:17; Heb. 12:9-11). As we
impart God’s wisdom to them, we have the
blessing of helping them
develop into responsible, God-fearing adults.
They are buds of hope and promise,
Possessed by Him whose name is Love;
Lent us here to train and nourish
For a better life above. —Crosby
Failure to discipline our children is a
failure to love them.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
