“Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
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Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Being a human being is a fairly elastic experience. We can be made to expand and hold experience after experience in the process of getting to our final form. Yet, given our finiteness, it has been observed that it does seem to matter how that process begins. The formative points in our development seem to lock in orientations and attitudes that either hinder or help our success at taking in the things that make us completely who we will be. According to Solomon, this truth can be utilized for the benefit of our children. They do not merely need to find wisdom, on their own. I’m instead they can and should be directed toward it. They should be guided to sit at her feet during the formative years of their existence. This serves to establish a path back to her whenever life makes them veer slightly away. In this passage, we find a description of how things work, but also a promise of the productivity of discipline.

It should be said that discipline is not, by nature, punitive. That is to say that the end goal of it is not to punish those who stray. Its goal is to keep people on the proper path. The shepherds rod can be used both gently and harshly depending upon the need and behavior of the edict is to correct not punish. Too many people either punish without care of correction, or correct without care of discipline. Our goal should always be that our path, as well as our children’s, should return to Gods path. If this can be done without punitive judgment, but firm guidance, we need not be harsh. If it can’t, and the proverbial rod must be used, than we must always keep a tender heart in the mix of our discipline.