As I look back at my childhood, I often heard the phrase, “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” even though I was a spoiled child, well, grandchild really. Since grandma came to live with us when I was five after grandpa died, she regularly spoiled me with a full lunchbox, and escort to and from school, and some sort of treat waiting when I got home. Her coke floats and chocolate chip cookies were the best! I was surprised when I finally found the proverb in scripture, ‘Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.’
Now, grandma had her rules, too. If I was not visible from the living room window at any time, I was in trouble, and it kind of made playing hide and seek a problem. If I was not in the house before sundown, I was in big trouble, and we had many discussions during the summer about the definition of sunset. I even resorted to watching the weather on the nightly news to know the exact minute sunset would be each night.
We are told in scripture that being good neighbors means to please others before we please ourselves. Christ bore all the taunts and insults of selfish desires on the cross, so that we could learn to be friendly and nice to each other. But as I grow older, I have come to understand pleasing others has a deeper meaning. Once I learn how to please God, and those actions simultaneously please both my neighbor and myself, only then have I truly aligned my heart and soul to God’s will for my life. Only then is my heart right with God.
Grace & Peace, Charles.