by Pastor Patrick Cho
One of the places in Scripture to find a wealth of helpful principles for parenting is the Proverbs. Almost every book on parenting will reference these Scriptures repeatedly because of the wisdom they contain. Besides the plethora of verses that apply to parenting indirectly, several passages address parenting specifically.
A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible. (Proverbs 15:5)
Returning to a familiar theme in Proverbs, the author once again warns against rejecting discipline and spurning reproof. The fool in Proverbs is always depicted as morally corrupt. His wickedness is demonstrated in his sinful acts as well as his evil speech. Consider the way a fool behaves: he delights in doing wickedness (10:23), displays anger (12:16), mocks at sin (14:9), is arrogant and careless (14:16), and quarrels with others (20:3). With his mouth, the fool has lying lips and spreads slander (10:18) and his lips bring strife (18:6). It is no wonder the Proverbs speak repeatedly of how the fool’s life will end in ruin.
The reason a fool behaves the way he does is because his heart is inclined to do evil. A man does as he thinks, and the fool acts consistently with the disposition of his heart. It stems from the revelation in Proverbs 1:7 that a fool despises understanding. He acts in a reprehensible way because he turns away from godly wisdom. Several times, the author of Proverbs communicates that parental discipline is a source of godly wisdom. One of the reasons a fool runs to ruin is because he does not listen to the counsel of his father and mother.
Sadly, this verse presents a sobering reality that your child may not ultimately do what is right even if you are diligently instructing him or her. While by God’s grace it is generally the pattern that faithful parenting will produce faithful children, there is no guarantee that a person’s children will be saved because of his parents’ efforts. A father may discipline his son and still see his son choose the way of the fool. It is imperative that as parents we pray diligently for God’s grace to save our children and to protect them from waywardness (cf. Prov. 1:32).
The last thought in this verse is that the one who “regards reproof is sensible.” I am always astounded when I meet with older men of the faith to talk about counseling cases or life circumstances that baffle me. Their ability to craftily work through the biblical principles that speak to the issue and demonstrate understanding and wisdom in knowing exactly what to do or how to think is impressive. This is the idea behind the word sensible. It can be translated “shrewd” or “prudent,” and is the exact opposite of the fool. One of the great goals of parenting is to invest in our children through our instruction and example so that they will grow in wisdom and develop the same shrewdness.