12/20/2025
THE ROD OF CORRECTION
by Elder Buddy Abernathy
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” (Pro. 22:15)
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” (Pro. 13:24)
Sin originated with Adam when he disobeyed God’s law in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:6; Rom. 5:12, 19). Since that time, every child (except Jesus Christ) has been born with a sin nature. This sin nature manifests itself in the behavior of children. The book of Proverbs refers to this behavior as foolishness (Pro. 22:15). Foolishness involves an attitude of selfish defiance which motivates children to be rebellious and disobedient to their parents. God instructs parents, especially fathers (Eph. 6:4), to use the rod of correction to drive the foolishness far away. The rod refers to what we would call a switch (a small shoot or young branch). The primary purpose of the rod is to correct. It trains children to comply with the commands given by the parents. If the rod is used “betimes” (early and consistently) it will not be needed for a long period of time. According to God’s word, a father who refrains from using the rod hates his child (Pro. 13:24).
The training process with the rod is not complicated. When utilized correctly, it trains children to obey their parents’ commands without hesitation. One of the first words an infant needs to understand is “no”. He can learn the meaning of this word even before he learns to crawl. However, when a baby begins crawling and then walking, he will naturally want to touch things and pick up objects. When he reaches for a forbidden object, calmly say “no” in your normal voice. If he ignores you and begins to pick up the object, just say “no” again in your normal voice and tap his hand with a small switch or a small wooden paddle, just hard enough to cause a stinging sensation. You are training him to understand that if your words are ignored, he will experience a sense of pain. It will only take him a few experiences with the rod to learn what “no” means. Eventually, any time you say “no” he will stop in his tracks because he associates ignoring your words with the sting of the rod. This same procedure can be followed with anything you instruct your child to do. This includes training your toddler to sit still and be quiet in church. I emphasize again that this is primarily the duty of fathers. If your child doesn’t behave during the worship service, immediately take him outside of the auditorium. Apply the rod, tell him he must sit still and be quiet, then return to your seat. Repeat this as many times as necessary. Don’t give up. Don’t try an alternative method. Don’t bribe your child with toys or candy. Don’t pass him off to another family member to see if they can get him quiet. You are establishing your God given authority as a parent. Your command must be obeyed every time without delay. Parents who consistently utilize “the rod of correction” with their toddlers will learn that their children can be trained to do whatever they say, the first time they say it.
While the rod is especially useful for training toddlers to obey, it will also be needed to correct disrespectful attitudes and rebellious behaviors. Remember, you’re driving away the foolish behavior that springs from your child’s sin nature. If your child defies your authority, speaks disrespectfully, or deliberately disobeys; you must apply the rod with a little more severity. Then pick up the child or sit with him on your lap and say in a calm voice, “You must do what mommy and daddy say” It is the sting of the rod, not your loud, angry voice which will gain compliance from your child. Children will not be psychologically damaged when the rod is used correctly. To the contrary, they learn to respect authority. This will save them from many troubles they would otherwise face later in life.
PLEASE NOTE: Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible which I believe is the pure, preserved word of God in English. As such, I esteem it to be the standard of absolute truth concerning all we need to know about training our children. I do not claim to be a child training expert but I claim that the word of God, especially the book of Proverbs, contains perfect child training principles.
