A Well-Deserved Spanking
Pastor Dennis Eenigenburg told what happened when he brought home a note from his elementary school teacher stating he had talked back to her. His frustrated mother recognized her failure to change his behavior.
Many mothers would have been tempted to drop a verbal guillotine on the child's neck. Instead, she read the note, stood there with tears in her eyes, and then led him to her bedroom. Dennis was expecting a well deserved spanking, but what he got was far more effective.
"She had me kneel down with her as she prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom to guide her son, and as she prayed, she cried. I was deeply moved. If my behavior was that important to her, I knew I had to change. No spanking I ever received had as much impact as kneeling next to my praying mother."
She saw a deeper need, and because she loved her son, she responded to that.
Jesus, give me wisdom to respond to others out of love rather than irritation.
"For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:20 KJV).
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline" (Revelation 3:19).
