Why Discipline Matters Even When It's Hard

Hey, carpool crew. Maybe you're racing out the door with your hair half brushed, or maybe you're the quiet one in the car watching the sunrise through the window, which sounds pretty nice actually. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're here. We're in our series called Proverbs for your school life because every day in September, we're learning wisdom from the book Jesus himself would've studied as a boy. Today's verse is bold, honest, and needs a little unpacking. So let's take it slow and look at what it's really saying. Our verse is from Proverbs chapter five, verse 23. He will die because there is no discipline and be lost because of his great stupidity. Now Solomon isn't trying to be mean here. He's giving a very serious warning. Now, this part of Proverbs talks about what happens when someone refuses to listen, refuses to grow, keeps pushing away wisdom over and over again. See, in Bible times, the word we translate as stupidity didn't mean someone wasn't smart, it meant someone chose to ignore the truth even when it was right in front of them. So let's talk about that word for a second. Stupidity. I know a lot of parents are clinching right now. What's he gonna say? What's happening? We don't allow the word stupid in our house. Hey, guess what? Pastor Justin and my wife, we don't let our kids say stupid either. It's not a word we want thrown around. We don't use it to make fun of people or insult others, but the Bible uses it here for a reason. When Solomon says great stupidity, he's talking about a heart that refuses to be corrected, someone that keeps making bad choices and then shrugs it off like it's no big deal. Imagine someone coming into your room breaking one of your Lego sets, then just shrugging it off like it's no big deal. Why should you care? What's the problem here? Imagine someone coming in during breakfast and just flipping the food off the table, and when you look at them and say, what are you doing? This is our breakfast. They just shrug it off and say, what's the problem? Who cares? That is what Solomon is talking about, and it's a warning, a clear warning. If you never learn discipline, you eventually will be lost. Not just confused, but lost. Like you don't even know what's right or wrong anymore. See, if Jesus were riding in the backseat with you, he might say something like, I love you too much to let you stay on a path that's gonna hurt you. Jesus didn't come to shame you. And here's the thing, Pastor Justin, I'm not here to shame you either. He came to save you. But that means you've gotta be willing to turn around when he says, hey, that's not the right direction to go. Hey, you're making a bad decision. You're making a bad choice. Imagine playing a game that has a little tutorial and an explanation, but you skip over it, and then you ignore the hints. Then you don't even try to learn from your losses. You keep rushing into the game, doing it your own way, doing your own thing, and guess what? You never improve and you end up getting really frustrated. That's what Solomon is warning us about. When we refuse to be disciplined, to listen to the feedback of others who care about us, we don't just stay stuck. We get lost and then we get frustrated at ourselves and at other people. But when you let God lead you and correct you, you grow stronger, wiser, more confident. So what are some ways you can apply this today? Well, first, listen when someone gives you wise correction. It's a gift, not an insult. Second, be honest when you mess up, then ask God to help you grow. He's always willing to help you. And lastly, discipline isn't punishment. It's training for a better life. Now remember, no matter where you are, no matter how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if this episode helps your family have a meaningful conversation, consider sharing it with some other parents you see this weekend. Now, before you go, answer this question together. What's one way you can grow in discipline this week, at school, at home, or in your walk with Jesus? I'll see you tomorrow because we're gonna be doing episodes all weekend long on Carpooling with Jesus.