2020-09-12
Proverbs 29:17 MSG
Several years ago, sociologists and child psychologists made an interesting discovery. Contemporary thought assumed that putting fences around playgrounds made children feel restricted in their recreation. And based on that theory it was decided to remove the fences so children wouldn’t feel confined. To the astonishment of the experts, the opposite effect occurred. Researchers found that children became more inhibited in their activities. They tended to huddle toward the middle of the playground and exhibited signs of insecurity. Interestingly, when the fences were replaced, the children once more played with great enthusiasm and freedom. What’s the lesson here? We all need boundaries – something to define the limits of safety and security. Whereas the “experts” theorized that boundaries restrict creativity, children on the playground proved that we need a clear understanding of what’s safe and acceptable in order for ingenuity and inventiveness to flourish. That means your children will flourish and you’ll function better as a parent when guidelines are clearly communicated, and the consequences for not following them are completely understood. There’s a humorous story of a father who gave his sixteen-year-old son his first car. Before handing him the keys, he said, “This is a magic car, Son.” “Really?” the boy replied. “Yeah,” answered his dad. “One speeding ticket – and it will disappear!” And the first car you buy for your child should be a “magic” car too. Bottom line: God sets the rules for success in life, and He rewards those who honour them. In the words of Scripture: “Study this Book of Instruction continually…obey everything written in it…then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT).
Soul food: Eze 31-33; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 20:22-24
Spreuke 29:17 NLV
Jare gelede het sosioloë en kindersielkundiges ‘n interessante ontdekking gemaak. Kontemporêre denkwyses het aangeneem dat kinders in hulle bewegings beperk sou voel as hulle speelgronde omhein was. Hulle het dus, gebaseer op daardie teorie, die heinings verwyder sodat kinders nie ingehok sou voel nie. Navorsers het egter gevind dat kinders toe meer geïnhibeerd in hulle aktiwiteite geword het. Hulle was geneig om in die middel van die speelgrond saam te drom en het tekens van onsekerheid getoon. Interessant genoeg het die kinders weer met groot entoesiasme en vryheid gespeel toe hulle weer die heinings opgerig het. Watter les kan ons hieruit leer? Ons almal het grense nodig – iets wat die perke van veiligheid en sekuriteit definieer. Die kundiges het ‘n teorie gehad dat grense kreatiwiteit beperk, maar die kinders op die speelgrond het bewys dat ons ‘n duidelik begrip van dit wat veilig en aanvaarbaar is, nodig het, sodat vindingrykheid kan floreer. Wanneer riglyne duidelik gekommunikeer word en wanneer die nagevolge om dit nie na te kom nie, verstaan word, sal jou kinders floreer en jy as ouer sal beter funksioneer. Daar is ‘n staaltjie van ‘n pa wat vir sy sestien-jarige seun sy eerste kar gegee het. Toe hy die sleutels aan sy seun oorhanding, het hy gesê: ‘Hierdie is ‘n towerkar, seun.’ ‘Regtig?’ het die seun gevra. ‘Ja,’ het sy pa geantwoord. ‘Een verkeersboete – en hy verdwyn!’ Die eerste kar wat jy vir jou kind koop, behoort ook ‘n ‘towerkar’ te wees. God het die reëls vir sukses in die lewe neergelê en Hy beloon diegene wat dit eer. In die woorde van die Skrif: ‘Hou hierdie wetboek altyd by jou. Dink dag en nag daaroor na sodat jy alles kan doen wat daarin geskryf is. Jy sal dan sukses behaal op jou pad. Jy sal voorspoedig wees’ (Josua 1:8 NLV).
Sielskos: Eseg 31-33; Luk 21:25-38; Ps 78:40-55; Spr 20:22-24
2020-09-11
Proverbs 23:13 NKJV
When it comes to discipline, your primary concern should never be your own comfort, but the “soul” [mind, will and emotions] of your child! Discipline, or the lack thereof, can set off a good or bad chain reaction. If your children don’t respect authority in the home, they won’t respect it in the school, the government, the church, or ultimately even heaven itself. It’s just a small step from rebelling against the parents God gave them, to rebelling against the God who gave them their parents. And discipline should begin sooner rather than later. When a child is old enough to be told to do what’s right and they choose to do what’s wrong – that child is ready to be disciplined. The Bible doesn’t specify an age limit in its definition of the word “child.” Just because your child is old enough to drive, shave, and date, doesn’t mean they’re beyond correction. They may be too old for a swat on the behind, but there are other, more effective ways to discipline an adolescent or teenager. If you read the book of Proverbs carefully, you’ll find that Solomon was talking to a son who was old enough to join a street gang, be tempted by sexual sin, patronize prostitutes, go into debt, and get drunk. He wasn’t necessarily talking about first-graders. Bottom line: As long as your children are under your roof, they are under your jurisdiction, and you will give an account to God for how you used – or didn’t use – your authority.
Soul food: Eze 27:25-30:26; Luke 21:12-24; Ps 78:32-39; Prov 20:20-21
Genesis 37:3 NIV
Let’s look at the three different coats Joseph wore, as they present a picture of our lives as Christians. The first coat is the coat of salvation. It was a ‘gift’ from his father; Joseph never paid a penny for it, or sewed a stitch, or provided an inch of fabric. And that sounds a lot like the story of our salvation. The Bible says, ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Motivated by jealousy and resentment, Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit and dipped his coat in the blood of a goat in order to convince their father that he had been killed by a wild animal. The Bible says: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7 NKJV). In Old Testament times, when someone sinned they brought a sacrificial lamb to the altar and the priest shed its blood as payment for their sins. But the priest did not examine the person, he examined the lamb. If the lamb was ‘worthy’, the person was accepted and their sins were atoned for. So the moment we acknowledge our sin and pray, ‘Father, I come in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God,’ we’re totally forgiven and accepted. ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).
Eze 27:25-30:26; Luke 21:12-24; Ps 78:32-39; Prov 20:20-21
Spreuke 23:13 NLV
Wanneer dit by dissipline kom, moet jou prioriteit nooit jou eie gemak wees nie, maar die siel – die gedagtes, wil en emosies – van jou kind! Dissipline, of die gebrek daaraan, kan ‘n goeie of slegte kettingreaksie aan die gang sit. As jou kinders nie outoriteit in die huis respekteer nie, sal hulle dit nie in die skool, die regering, die kerk of selfs uiteindelik in die hemel, respekteer nie. Dis net ‘n klein stappie verder om teen die ouers wat God hulle gegee het te rebelleer, tot om teen die God wat hulle ouers aan hulle gegee het, te rebelleer. Dissipline moet gouer, eerder as later, plaasvind. Wanneer ‘n kind oud genoeg is om te verstaan wat reg is, maar kies om te doen wat verkeerd is, is daardie kind gereed om gedissiplineer te word. Die Bybel spesifiseer nie ‘n ouderdomsbeperking in die definisie van die woord ‘kind’ nie. Net omdat jou kind oud genoeg is om te bestuur, te skeer en op afsprake te gaan, beteken nie dat hulle nie meer gekorrigeer kan word nie. Hulle mag dalk te oud vir ‘n piets op die boud wees, maar daar is ander, meer effektiewe maniere om ‘n tiener te dissiplineer. As jy Spreuke versigtig lees, sal jy agterkom dat Salomo met ‘n seun praat wat oud genoeg was om by ‘n bende aan te sluit, deur seksuele sonde versoek te word, prostitute te besoek, skuld te maak en dronk te word. Hy het nie noodwendig van graadeentjies gepraat nie. Solank as wat jou kinders onder jou dak woon, val hulle onder jou jurisduksie en jy sal aan God verslag moet doen hoe jy jou outoriteit gebruik het of nie gebruik het nie.
Sielskos: Eseg 27:25-30:26; Luk 21:12-24; Ps 78:32-39; Spr 20:20-21
