“Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.”
There may be no better place to observe this truth than in the raising of children. The wise second child learns an awful lot about what is and isn’t OK and how much they can get away with by observing the oldest child. I know in my case, when my brother did something that elicited a very firm response, I learned to avoid it. Or at least hide it better. Both the simple and the discerning in this verse reflect good characteristics. The simple sometimes just needs a talk as the younger and still-growing person as an encouragement to watch, listen, and learn from the older, wiser people in their story. It may be more of an illustration to be sure you have wise mentors. It also encourages you to be observant in your life and in your career, watching those ahead of you. With a little age, we should all become more discerning and not need to watch others drop the ball to learn what not to do. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the most powerful ally for discerning knowledge and gaining maturity. An important lesson in this passage is that when we are young, we watch and learn. In our humility, we learn from others. In our arrogance, we think we know it all and will eventually fail. As we age, we process what we’ve learned. Today listen to the Holy Spirit, and discern. #BeTheEdge
“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” Job 12:12 NIV
