Rhonda J. Smith is a former college speech
instructor & communications coordinator
turned full-time homemaker & journalist. The
writing of this committed wife and mother
who earned her Bachelor’s degree in
journalism and a Master’s degree in
communication from Wayne State University,
Detroit, has been featured in The Detroit
News, Newsday (New York), Chicago
Tribune, Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI),
Guideposts, and Charisma Magazine.
Rhonda frequently speaks at ministry
functions, writes and edits newsletters for
Christian ministries, and teaches public
speaking workshops. Three times a week,
she encourages women to lean on God's
strength instead of their own through her
blog, Musings of a (Recovering) Strong Black
Woman. She, her husband and three sons
attend Evangel Ministries in Detroit, where
they live.
Email Rhonda Smith:
rhonda@eewmagazine.com
Connect on Facebook:
Facebook.com
instructor & communications coordinator
turned full-time homemaker & journalist. The
writing of this committed wife and mother
who earned her Bachelor’s degree in
journalism and a Master’s degree in
communication from Wayne State University,
Detroit, has been featured in The Detroit
News, Newsday (New York), Chicago
Tribune, Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI),
Guideposts, and Charisma Magazine.
Rhonda frequently speaks at ministry
functions, writes and edits newsletters for
Christian ministries, and teaches public
speaking workshops. Three times a week,
she encourages women to lean on God's
strength instead of their own through her
blog, Musings of a (Recovering) Strong Black
Woman. She, her husband and three sons
attend Evangel Ministries in Detroit, where
they live.
Email Rhonda Smith:
rhonda@eewmagazine.com
Connect on Facebook:
Facebook.com
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About the Writer
2) Deeming the Bible as irrelevant to our present age and, therefore, not
applicable to our lives. “This is 2011. We don’t spank anymore.” But Hebrews 4:12 says,
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions
of the heart.” The word of God is not dead and still able to affect our lives as was initially
intended.
3) Taking away from what the Bible says. “There are other ways to teach our kids
lessons without spanking them.” Proverbs 29:15 (ESV) says, “The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (emphasis added). We are to discipline
our children through physical means (rod) and verbal and model instruction (reproof). We must
decide which method is appropriate for the violation, but we must use the rod sometimes. We do
not have the option to choose reproof and never the rod. When we do so we are tampering with
the Bible (Proverbs 30:5-6).
4) Replacing the Bible with our experience. “I grew up in a household, like many other
black people did, where I got whoopings all the time and I knew that when I had my own kids, I
didn't want to hit them like that.” Parents who whooped their kids at every turn should not be
our standard. The Bible, the Christian guidebook, should be: “All scripture [is] given by
inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2
Timothy 3:16-17-KJV). The Bible—not our parents who may have been out of control when
disciplining us—gives us what to teach (doctrine), how to identify what’s wrong (reproof), how to
adjust the wrong (correction) and how to teach what should be done (instruction). All four of
these areas are wrapped up in disciplining our children with the rod and reproof.
5) Allowing culture to dictate our decisions. “I think people of color need to get rid of
our slave mentality where we were beat out in the fields, so we beat our kids.” Slavery still
impacts folks in the black community and may even influence how some of us discipline—
harshly or not at all. When we follow the thinking of items one through four we have
successfully embraced the world’s culture and have not heeded Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no
one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according
to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (ESV). When we follow the
ways of the world, in this instance not spanking our children, we have rejected our position of
waging war in the spirit and have chosen to fight with our flesh (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Though a physical action, spanking is indeed a spiritual weapon given to help us fight the
strongholds in our children’s lives, the main one being foolishness (Proverbs 22:15). When
foolishness is cast out, wisdom can enter their lives and help them cast down every thought and
action that is opposite to God and His Kingdom. But we must first seek to put the Kingdom first
by casting down the thoughts that spanking is barbaric, old school and abusive. We have exalted
these notions against the knowledge of God that says spanking is beneficial. Once we take these
thoughts captive and obey God’s word, we will see transformation in our homes based on the
Spirit of God and not the spirit of this world. This is what we are called to do so that we focus on
putting the Kingdom first.
Look in the next edition of EEW to learn about the merits and suggested methods of spanking.
Was Rhonda's parenting perspective helpful this week? If so, email her and let her know you
were blessed by what God gave her to share at rhonda@eewmagazine.com!
applicable to our lives. “This is 2011. We don’t spank anymore.” But Hebrews 4:12 says,
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions
of the heart.” The word of God is not dead and still able to affect our lives as was initially
intended.
3) Taking away from what the Bible says. “There are other ways to teach our kids
lessons without spanking them.” Proverbs 29:15 (ESV) says, “The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (emphasis added). We are to discipline
our children through physical means (rod) and verbal and model instruction (reproof). We must
decide which method is appropriate for the violation, but we must use the rod sometimes. We do
not have the option to choose reproof and never the rod. When we do so we are tampering with
the Bible (Proverbs 30:5-6).
4) Replacing the Bible with our experience. “I grew up in a household, like many other
black people did, where I got whoopings all the time and I knew that when I had my own kids, I
didn't want to hit them like that.” Parents who whooped their kids at every turn should not be
our standard. The Bible, the Christian guidebook, should be: “All scripture [is] given by
inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2
Timothy 3:16-17-KJV). The Bible—not our parents who may have been out of control when
disciplining us—gives us what to teach (doctrine), how to identify what’s wrong (reproof), how to
adjust the wrong (correction) and how to teach what should be done (instruction). All four of
these areas are wrapped up in disciplining our children with the rod and reproof.
5) Allowing culture to dictate our decisions. “I think people of color need to get rid of
our slave mentality where we were beat out in the fields, so we beat our kids.” Slavery still
impacts folks in the black community and may even influence how some of us discipline—
harshly or not at all. When we follow the thinking of items one through four we have
successfully embraced the world’s culture and have not heeded Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no
one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according
to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (ESV). When we follow the
ways of the world, in this instance not spanking our children, we have rejected our position of
waging war in the spirit and have chosen to fight with our flesh (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Though a physical action, spanking is indeed a spiritual weapon given to help us fight the
strongholds in our children’s lives, the main one being foolishness (Proverbs 22:15). When
foolishness is cast out, wisdom can enter their lives and help them cast down every thought and
action that is opposite to God and His Kingdom. But we must first seek to put the Kingdom first
by casting down the thoughts that spanking is barbaric, old school and abusive. We have exalted
these notions against the knowledge of God that says spanking is beneficial. Once we take these
thoughts captive and obey God’s word, we will see transformation in our homes based on the
Spirit of God and not the spirit of this world. This is what we are called to do so that we focus on
putting the Kingdom first.
Look in the next edition of EEW to learn about the merits and suggested methods of spanking.
Was Rhonda's parenting perspective helpful this week? If so, email her and let her know you
were blessed by what God gave her to share at rhonda@eewmagazine.com!
And we should, sometimes, spank our children. Spanking is a weapon of warfare. The Bible is
clear about that, but we have our own notions. For example, an EEW reader named Tangie Hunt-
Robinson emailed our editors in response to the Table Talk topic on spanking and said:
This is classic talk show talk. I've heard this thinking from Dr. Phil and on Oprah and have
recently read a slew of articles and met some folks opposing spanking. They say spanking is
barbaric, abusive and old school. They dismiss the Bible, believing time has given them better
options. They write books, form committees, and create organizations and legislation to end
spanking, all because they feel (and human research reveals) that corporal punishment is wrong.
And some of these people are Christians. Tangie represents a group of dissenters who rightfully
respond to physical injustices inflicted upon them and black people during slavery; they just do
so according to how they feel. Though I understand where Tangie is coming from and can
appreciate her comment, all Christians have to wrestle with, not dismiss, the Bible’s teachings on
spanking and uncover the biblical means of doling out physical punishment. The only way we
can do that is to first believe we must follow biblical instruction despite how we feel.
clear about that, but we have our own notions. For example, an EEW reader named Tangie Hunt-
Robinson emailed our editors in response to the Table Talk topic on spanking and said:
- “I think it's wrong to hit our children. I know you added scriptures in the article but I
agree with the judge. This is 2011. We don't spank anymore. There are other ways to
teach our kids lessons without spanking them. I grew up in a household, like many other
black people did, where I got whoopings all the time and I knew that when I had my own
kids, I didn't want to hit them like that. I'm not saying it's easy to raise 3 kids with no
spankings, but I think it's better in the long run. I think people of color need to get rid of
our slave mentality where we were beat out in the fields, so we beat our kids. It's not right.
I'm just saying.”
This is classic talk show talk. I've heard this thinking from Dr. Phil and on Oprah and have
recently read a slew of articles and met some folks opposing spanking. They say spanking is
barbaric, abusive and old school. They dismiss the Bible, believing time has given them better
options. They write books, form committees, and create organizations and legislation to end
spanking, all because they feel (and human research reveals) that corporal punishment is wrong.
And some of these people are Christians. Tangie represents a group of dissenters who rightfully
respond to physical injustices inflicted upon them and black people during slavery; they just do
so according to how they feel. Though I understand where Tangie is coming from and can
appreciate her comment, all Christians have to wrestle with, not dismiss, the Bible’s teachings on
spanking and uncover the biblical means of doling out physical punishment. The only way we
can do that is to first believe we must follow biblical instruction despite how we feel.
Following our feelings can land us on the path
of five classic areas of reasoning:
1) Agreeing with man and not God. “I
think it’s wrong to hit our children. I know you
added scriptures in the article but I agree with
the judge.” When someone reputable makes a
claim, it’s easy to follow along, especially when
their thoughts resonate with our own. But we
have to be like Peter and the other apostles,
who, when the Jewish leaders wanted to know
why they kept preaching about Jesus when the
officials told them to stop, said “We ought to
obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29-KJV).
of five classic areas of reasoning:
1) Agreeing with man and not God. “I
think it’s wrong to hit our children. I know you
added scriptures in the article but I agree with
the judge.” When someone reputable makes a
claim, it’s easy to follow along, especially when
their thoughts resonate with our own. But we
have to be like Peter and the other apostles,
who, when the Jewish leaders wanted to know
why they kept preaching about Jesus when the
officials told them to stop, said “We ought to
obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29-KJV).
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| Copyright © 2011-2014 EEW Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. |
EEW Magazine is the premiere site for African American Christian news, viewpoints, and information. Visit EEWMagazine.com daily to get informed and
get the latest coverage of black news and black entertainment from a Christian perspective.
get the latest coverage of black news and black entertainment from a Christian perspective.
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not
war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our
warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down of strong
holds;) Casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against
the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ." —2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV
We are in a war and too often our children
are the casualties because we don't train
them and suit them up to fight. We use other
people's techniques and armor and theirs are
not foolproof or bullet proof. Our kids get
struck because we remove our mother wings
and let them fly off with the world's chickens,
leaving us awestruck like we had done the
right thing all along. This happens too often
because we don't believe we should, and
therefore don't, spank our children.
war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our
warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down of strong
holds;) Casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against
the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ." —2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV
We are in a war and too often our children
are the casualties because we don't train
them and suit them up to fight. We use other
people's techniques and armor and theirs are
not foolproof or bullet proof. Our kids get
struck because we remove our mother wings
and let them fly off with the world's chickens,
leaving us awestruck like we had done the
right thing all along. This happens too often
because we don't believe we should, and
therefore don't, spank our children.
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July 19-August 2
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