His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why have you done so?” and he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom.
1Ki 1:6
One of the characters about whom, much description is given in Bible, is David. Even though David achieved much, his failures are also described in Bible. He had many children. The above verse depicts clearly David’s failure in the fatherly duties.
Pro 22:6 Train a child in the way appropriate for him, and when he becomes older, he will not turn from it.
Today’s society puts so much restrictions on disciplining a child.
Pro 23:13 Don’t withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with a rod, he won’t die.
Many countries have put legal ban on uttering the word “Jesus”, ‘God’ ‘Sin’ to their kids and young generation. But Bible teaches the opposite. Bible teaches about disciplining a child strictly.
Why should we discipline a child?
Pro 29:15 The rod and rebuke bestow wisdom, but an undisciplined child brings shame to his mother.
In 1 King 1:6, we see Adonijah brought shame not only to his mother but to his father, to his siblings, family and to the whole Israelites. Finally, he was killed by his own brother which would have brought unimaginable misery and sorrow to his parents.
Note the word, “His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why have you done so?”
David’s failure in his fatherly duty is emphatically mentioned 3 times.
- David had not displeased him. 2. At any time 3. Never asked “Why have you done so?”
Are you prepared to displease your child? The parents will have to get the displeasure of their children if you discipline them. Are you afraid of displeasing your child? How much effort, energy and time have you put in disciplining your child?
Modern families are becoming child centred and it is not a good sign as per the above verse. Let’s look into our family. What are the negative tendencies in my child?
Have you ever taken effort to find them out?
If not, allot time today itself, to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you. Don’t postpone it to tomorrow.
Why David hesitated in disciplining Adonijah? The next verse says,
“Adonijah was very handsome and had been born after Absalom”.
May be David was proud of his two handsome sons.
Never hesitate to discipline your ‘intelligent’, ‘handsome’, ‘rank holder’, ‘smart’, ‘efficient’ child.
If you do not correct him/her at the appropriate time, its life will be damaged. The child will become a headache, and a nuisance to your family, his/her own family which he/she is supposed to raise, and to the society.
This is the great spiritual erosion that has taken place in the ‘once reputed Christian nations. They failed to discipline their children.
God sent among them a powerful delusion so that they believed in a lie. “If given maximum individual freedom, without any disciplining, children will choose the right from wrong.”. This generation has proved that it was a deception. By the time we found it out, many generations suffered irreparable damage, many died spiritual deaths, and the countries’ Government went into the hands of unworthy hands who have no or less regard for the laws of the Lord.
Sr. Angelica AOJ