Proverbs 19:18, 26
Discipline your son, seeing there is still hope; and set not your heart on his destruction.
The elements of discipline and hope share a very distinct common thread, and that thread is children. Children are not just a part of the future, they are our future. As we look at the depth of the many problems that this world faces, we must come to the realization that we can only accomplish so much within our own lifetimes. Past change has taken place by the joint sacrifices of many generations of people, not just one. Therefore, if things are to improve, the courageous and wise deeds of our children will bring them to pass, as they learn to put their hope and faith in an eternal God and his power.
However, children are not born knowing God, wise, courageous, trustworthy, and faithful. They are raised and directed by their parents, instructors, and overseers to be that way. As a parent we cannot engage a future hope, if we do not engage the discipline of our children. Hope fades for the future of any nation of people when just one of its generations ignores a single season of the discipline of its own. Hope exists upon these empty templates. If we, as parents, fail to firmly engrave upon the minds of our children solid foundations of peace, love, and righteousness, then the light of our future quickly will begin to dim.
Nevertheless, I truly believe that society as a whole is beginning to turn in a positive direction. They are beginning to see what a lack of discipline and respect has produced in our schools and neighborhoods. People are seeing the correlation between societal problems and a lack of overall structure and truth. The shining beams of hope are still very vibrant. There are millions of tiny hearts all over our nation and the world that can still be formed into great deeds, incredible achievement, sincere love, prejudice free, respectful, compassionate, wise, faithful, and humble men and women of God, but the ones that count the most are the ones within our own homes. Let us not cheat our children out of their future, nor the world from the blessing that they might bring to it. Let us be strong, and take time to discipline our own, and the beams of hope will shine upon our future that much more brightly!
Pastor LaVaughn
