Man tries to put order on things, even as scientists tell us the universe is in a constant state of entropy. Things around us are slowly decaying into a greater degree of disorder, a process that man cannot correct without God to control things.
Yet, there are people who believe there is no God. Where does that leave us?
In The Brothers Karamazov, one of Dostoevsky’s characters remarks, “If there is no God, everything is permitted.”
We can’t take that at face value, because who would condone torture and enslavement, God or not? Our world would decay into anarchy, where might rules. It would be a world of Mad Max and Thunderdome. What it means is that we can choose to legalize certain behaviors, and if we agree they are acceptable, then they become okay. There is no absolute right and wrong.
Can that be true, or is there a line we cannot afford to cross?
Let’s look at eight proverbs in the Word of God that give us direction in a world that sometimes seems chaotic and without purpose.
Proverbs 13:24 tells us:
“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
We don’t have to beat our children, but without rules and limits, children cannot find our love. They know we care when we consistently guide them the correct direction.
Proverbs 22:15 tells us:
“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”
This verse is about setting boundaries. Our youth are trying out the world around them and testing its limits. We must keep their choices within bounds that allow them to become successful adults.
Proverbs 29:15 tells us:
“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”
Here we learn oversight. We need to spend time with our children. We must give of ourselves to help our young people make better choices in life.
Proverbs 23:13-14 tells us:
“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.”
This is not a physical rod. Rather, it is the respect we earn that enables us to set Godly boundaries that keep our children’s feet on the road to the Father.
Proverbs 19:18 tells us:
“Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.”
No child is too far gone for God to redeem. We have to make our standards God’s standards, and keep love in the mix.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us:
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
The teachings of our youth are the ones we continually fall back on. They are the core of who we are. They will guide our decisions all our days.
Proverbs 23:12 tells us:
“Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.”
We never know everything. Other people have different experiences, and they can help us become wiser people. We should never discount their advice.
Proverbs 13:1 tell us:
“A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”
The path of knowledge flows along a predetermined path, from the learned to the unlearned. If we interrupt that path, we open up our lives to Thunderdome, for we will have begun to undermine the foundations of truth and morality, and everything will become permissible.
True leadership comes in leading, not enslaving. Wise direction gives opportunity and choice to those under our care. If we have to raise a physical rod, we’re not following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Yet, we must lead. We must have rules. We must have God to avoid entropy creeping into our lives. He is our reason for being, and without him, there is no point in being.
God is our order in a world of chaos.
The laws of God give us freedom to find him in our lives.
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Code: FGO.D.28.15b.vp.esv