While we are living in an era when the idea spanking children is not popular, it is something God has called us to do. Children are not born ethically and morally neutral, and their needs are much more profound than the obvious needs for instruction. The child’s greatest need is not an information deficit; his biggest problem is the condition of his heart. The bible teaches that “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him” (prov 22:15). God has revealed that the rod of correction is what our children need when they need correction, and the use of
the rod is a question of whether we will trust and obey God. Parents need encouragement to embrace this biblical method, and they need practical instruction regarding how to do this well.