Day 77, Year 1 Accepting Discipline or Persisting Childishness?

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15 NASB)

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV)

The two verses today refer, respectively, to the rod of correction for a child, which means punishment that could drive away foolishness, and to how people should actively put away childish speech, understanding, and thoughts when they grow up.

I believe that at least part of adults’ foolishness stems from their childhood. Yet, these parts fail to be transformed into the wisdom of adulthood as people grow up. Thus, as we mentioned yesterday, fools suffer because of their sins, which are at least partly rooted in the foolishness of childhood. Children often have certain irrational beliefs, biases, fixations, or obsessions that are not in line with biblical teaching, all of which need to be transformed by the truth of Jesus for God’s people. Hence, it is necessary to correct the transgressions in childhood. Otherwise, the problems could hinder our growth after believing in the Lord Jesus. 

As mentioned, the Lord would cause those who have sinned to suffer out of mercy. This suffering could be alleviated if we abandon our sins and break away from part of the breeding ground of our transgressions, including childish thoughts, ideas, and behaviors. Since the foolishness of a child is likely a breeding ground for sin, it is reasonable to discard it.

I believe the term “spoke” mentioned in the second verse could be understood as a system of expression. The language system is personal yet often influenced by parents or significant others, indicating what kind of reasoning or emotions, behind our likes or dislikes, interests or rejections, etc. This verse invites us to grow up and accept God’s wisdom so that His language system and reasoning can be centered in us. This means we need to change all our old languages, worldviews, and related habits incompatible with following Jesus. If we actively put away all the foolishness of a child, including the related transgressions and their breeding grounds, our words and actions would be more like Jesus, thus we could avoid the associated punishments from God. It is beneficial for us to proactively grow and improve continuously on our faith journey in this way.

Reflection questions:

1) Are you a proactive person who seeks personal and spiritual growth? Why?

2) Have you already put away all the foolishness of a child and embraced the truth of Jesus in every way, thus advancing toward spiritual maturity?