Ha! I got your attention. No, I’m not that kind of girl! I’m talking about the 4ft variety. But hang with me, there is a correlation there for husbands too. Raising boys for a girl like me should be an Olympic event. It’s not a job for the weak in the knees sort. Or the parent from the couch sort. It is a leap over the giant toy dinosaur, scale a tall bunk bed, frog in the backseat sort of job. And that’s only an hours worth on any given Sunday. The following Mother Goose nursery rhyme reminds me of my crew:
“Snips of snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of!"
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice and all things nice
That's what little girls are made of!"
No amount of “How to Be a Mom” type books could have prepared me for this life with my 4 boys. (Not to exclude my 3 girls, but Mommy will write about you another time.) When they are very small say about 1-4 years or so, they are easier to handle. Literally. They misbehave, I spank. All is well, for an hour or two. Somewhere around 6 or 7 they stretch out their legs and reach beyond a boundary or two. Still, spanking usually works. Then, the next thing I know, I turn around and my eldest boy is 12 years old! Spanking is no longer an option. He’s a good kid. Really, he is. He just has to be shaped into a good man. Here’s the glitch-I’M A WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!! God knows this. Except, my handbook (Proverbs), says hear the voice of lady wisdom, and also listen to the instruction of your mother, but doesn’t necessarily give practical application when said boy WON’T LISTEN!!!!! [Insert Father here.] He certainly listens more effectively to his dad. Glitch number 2-Dad works! Praise be to God in heaven!!! However, that means he’s being raised and educated primarily by moi. Poor kid. He’s ALL boy through and through! I love that about him. Unfortunately it can be a vice as well. He goes on one speed at all times. When he finally stops it’s usually because there is no one else in the room. Boys need work more than anyone. They need productive activity. If he’s not doing school work, punching his punching bag, jumping on the trampoline, shooting his BB Gun, or playing with the dog, he must be working. Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, going to work with Dad, picking and selling strawberries, taking out the trash etc. these are all things that are good for him. They are also chores that don’t take very long. (Except the lawn because we have almost 2 acres to mow) Boys mustn’t be left to their own devices. My dear hubby has educated me on this subject all too thoroughly. When my husband was a boy, he shot innocent woodland creatures, blew things up, crow-barred vehicles to pieces, and played in cow poop. These are all NON-PRODUCTIVE activities. So, when I look out my window and my son is a good 50ft in the air atop our tallest pine tree, my heart skips a beat as I try not to scream and say for the 40th time-“I said don’t go that high again!” Truth is treetops are the least of my worries. It is the condition of the heart that matters most. My hope rests in this verse;
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
The bible has many promises to us children of God, but sadly we live in a fallen sin filled world and though we as parents would love a guarantee of salvation and or perfectly behaved young citizens, as rewards for our diligently teaching and training of those given to us by our Creator, we know he chooses some for good works and others for destruction. Take Romans 9:22-25 for instance…
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”
God forbid one born of my own womb, is not on His eternal life list! Heaven help me I say. Our hope is you Lord for you alone are good. You desire Godly offspring, and we have baptized, and are training up those you entrusted to us. You alone are good.
My eldest boy will turn 12 on Thursday, September 22nd, 20011. It is not easy to discipline a man. 12 years old is biblically considered a man. In the past, (perhaps present), boys/men his age fought wars and ruled kingdoms. When I discipline him, I’m disciplining a man. I do not wish to break his spirit, only to offer him a better way. One which will not only glorify God, but will benefit him once he is not beneath my wings any longer. I admit my discipline isn’t always an example of one who is sane. For instance, the other night we had a slightly insane encounter with his bedroom door. He thinks it is for slamming, kicking, pounding, or locking one in or out of regularly. I however disagreed. So I removed his door.
He wasn’t pleased to say the least. I said, “If that’s how you are going to treat this door, then you don’t deserve the door.” He disagreed. Previously he had slammed it unknowingly on me and almost chopped off my finger. Rationally speaking I could’ve used more talk, less action. Did I mention we are an active family? Actions speak louder than words around here. I chose action. The next day, he and I spent time together and laughed hysterically at the whole ordeal. I love that kid!
To conclude my thoughts here, let me repeat my title, Discipline Your Man! Your husband is disciplined by God if you don’t. He is charged with taking care of his family and raising Godly offspring to the best of his ability. Let him step in when he needs to. Ask him how you should handle difficult situations. Bless your husband by not disrespecting his son who will soon be a man. Be attentive to the fact that we are all image bearers, and do not misuse the temple of God. Blessings.
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