The Wise Love Discipline

Good day to you all! Let's delve into the twelfth chapter of Proverbs. If one can absorb and implement even ten percent of the wisdom contained within Proverbs, it would be difficult not to become a discerning individual. The theme of Proverbs chapter eleven is: Carefully observe the end of a person's life. Observation, in essence, is a learning process. How foolish it is for a person to be unable to observe! Is observation not a simple matter? For example, after prayer, if a fishbone lodged in your throat disappears, you should contemplate, what kind of person is this? Yet, many lack even this capacity for observation, nor do they wish to explore the underlying reason, carrying on with their lives without any reaction. Thus, they become increasingly ignorant and foolish!

Chapter twelve of Proverbs, in truth, is somewhat scattered in its presentation, not easily understood. I propose the theme for this chapter to be: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. If a person has a fishbone stuck in their throat, should they not reflect on the cause? I tell you, this is discipline! If today you suffer from a fishbone and fail to introspect, what will happen if you encounter a car accident or a serious illness tomorrow? Therefore, one must learn to observe.

Upon realizing an event has occurred, recognize it as a form of discipline, and then repent properly, learning from the discipline. Many hate correction, immediately complaining, why must this fishbone lodge in my throat? Why not in someone else's throat? Then they proceed to curse, transforming a perfectly good opportunity to learn knowledge into a beastly curse. Hence, a lack of knowledge is perilous!

One sister, from a young age, did not accept discipline. Whenever disciplined, she would grumble inwardly, believing herself to be right and her parents to be abusing her. Beware of anyone harboring such thoughts. Examine yourself to see if you are one who loves knowledge or one who loves to act like a beast. If a person makes repeated mistakes without learning from them, the combination of ignorance and self-righteousness is even more critical.

From a young age, my parents favored me because I was one who loved to be disciplined. I was naturally inclined not to cause trouble for my parents, never crying or fussing from birth. My mother would wrap me in a blanket and place me on the heated brick bed, and it would be as if there were no child in the house. My mother would carry on with her tasks. Whether you naturally love discipline or acquire a love for it later in life; whether your starting point is low or high, you must cherish discipline. If you do not love discipline, if you dislike correction, you will become like beasts. Therefore, one experiences many disciplinary events from the Heavenly Father throughout life. I tell you, everyone will experience discipline, and after experiencing it, observe your reaction.

The Attitude Towards Discipline is Important

Consider going to work; in fact, many bosses hope to cultivate talent, caring less about a person's skills and more about their attitude. If a person's attitude is poor, it is quite appalling. For instance, doing the same job that others can complete in fifteen minutes takes him half a day; the boss will undoubtedly be displeased. Asking, why does it take you so long to do so little? The person's immediate reaction is, what? Are you picking on me, or do you dislike me? A terrible attitude. If he encounters a kindly boss, he will not be fired but allowed to remain as an apprentice. An opportunity to learn, but he ruins it. The reason is a poor attitude; too foolish!

Some people do not like to be taught, visiting the restroom more often than others, taking longer to eat. How annoying! Leaving messes uncleaned, rooms untidy, and the person making the mess is the one who does not clean it. Not doing much work at home, seeing the floor dirty and things messy, finding it agreeable, quite accustomed to it. Leaving work immediately after clocking out. No boss likes such an employee.

If a person is wise, if the boss gives an opportunity, if others work until a certain hour in the evening, they should work two hours longer, as there is nothing of consequence to do at home anyway. Seeing a dirty or messy area, clean it up; buying the boss a bottle of water, brewing a cup of tea and delivering it. If you feel you dislike being a subservient person, you will eventually become a truly subservient person. In short, incapable of doing anything well, yet stubborn, determined to be like a beast.

The righteous person has God’s favour, but he condemns the schemer. (Proverbs 12:2)

In reality, it is not that these people are born righteous, but those who love to be disciplined, who love to be corrected, will have knowledge. Choosing to be such a person is to receive Jehovah's grace. Why do people devise schemes? I will give you a few examples. There must be such people among us, complaining about being beaten even after working, because they did not work well enough.

I know a child from Northeastern China who insisted on studying in Hainan or Xinjiang when taking the university entrance exam, feeling that the farther away from his parents, the better. Because he hated his parents' discipline with a vengeance, his mind was filled only with hatred for his parents. Hoping to be far away from his parents after entering university, no longer subject to discipline. He does not consider that he eats food prepared by his parents every day, completely unqualified to judge his parents on good and evil.

Those who hate their parents' discipline are beasts. What I dislike most are children who judge their parents on good and evil. Some even feel qualified to hate their parents, refusing to listen, unwilling to be disciplined. Which parent does not hope their child will be successful after being raised? Even the worst parents hope for the best for their children. If you are such a person, you must change today, or I will dislike you too.

Some parents say that their child can obtain a passport as soon as they are born, can fly to Canada, can support themselves from birth. Your child is not Ne Zha, sprouting three heads and six arms the day after birth. Even Ne Zha is a demon! Many parents are qualified to feel hurt, raising their children from a young age only to have them turn into ingrates! I am filled with emotion! Some say that they are beaten even when helping their parents with work, implying that they have made significant contributions to the family. Is it not your duty to work? Being able to work itself is grace. Children can buy soy sauce at three years old and help their parents work in the fields at seven.

The righteous person has God’s favour, but he condemns the schemer. (Proverbs 12:2)

Some people judge their parents on good and evil from a young age, then argue with friends when they grow up, and then argue with colleagues. Arguing with heaven, arguing with earth, the whole person becomes an arguing king! Pointing to the sky and cursing the sky, stomping on the ground, spitting on people, arguing with everyone. What can they accomplish by arguing? They become beasts. You must love to be disciplined, you must have knowledge! What is a beast? For example, a snake is frozen stiff, and a farmer puts the snake in his arms to warm it. After the snake is warmed, it does not know gratitude and bites the farmer to death. Such people are repulsive to behold!

Please do not argue with me about what I am saying. I desire that everyone become a knowledgeable person! Do you think knowledge is learned in university? This is not taught in university. Do you think that arguing with your parents, arguing with the whole world, arguing as if everyone in the world owes you something, lying in bed all day thinking of scheming to harm others? What can knowledge from university do for you? Your mind is full of ignorance!

A person cannot be established through wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. (Proverbs 12:3)

A person who loves to be disciplined, loves to be corrected, who can be managed, can be spoken to, can be trained, will have knowledge. Your root is your knowledge system, your perception of things! Can a person live well by doing evil, by arguing with others? It must be difficult to live as an evil person who loves to argue. If you know that arguing is wrong, you must begin to understand that the root of the righteous grows day by day. If a person loves to be disciplined, loves to be corrected, that foundation is very solid.

What is congenital is of limited use; what is acquired is useful. I am guiding everyone through Proverbs to encourage introspection, and after introspection, people will become wise. People are like sesame seeds, like specks of dust, foolishly arguing with this and that. What can you accomplish by arguing? People must have knowledge, must have roots. Roots are people's understanding of things. One must have a good foundation.

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. (Proverbs 12:4)

I am surprised that some people enjoy living in pain, unable to live a good life. Lacking nothing, yet wanting to argue today, argue tomorrow, living like this for a lifetime! It is not only distressing when a woman lacks virtue but also distressing when a man lacks virtue! Knowing to argue with heaven and earth from a young age, with tattoos of dragons and tigers on arms, how can they have knowledge?

Ignorance is deadly! Those who cannot be disciplined are ignorant. When I say they have made a mistake, they not only refuse to admit it but also say that I am wrong! In Northeastern China, it is common to see someone walking down the street and suddenly turning to another person to say, What are you looking at? The other person replies with a standard line, What if I am looking at you! Then the two begin to fight. In the end, this person has several stitches on his head, and that person also has several stitches on his head. Is this not making trouble for no reason?

The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. (Proverbs 12:5)

Thinking about bad things all day will not lead to good. One day, while walking, I accidentally bumped into someone when turning around. Looking up, I saw that the person's forehead was full of scars, still with bleeding threads. The person looked fierce and frightening. I thought that my life is more valuable than yours, and I am willing to kneel and apologize to you. Then I quickly nodded and bowed to apologize to that person. I do not want to argue with him. I am willing to give him some money, but do not tattoo my head like his. We cannot afford to provoke such people. Can we not live a good life? Some people just like to tease bears when they have nothing to do. As a result, the bear gets angry, and a slap is enough to bear. This is making trouble when there is nothing to do!

Small countries have their ways of survival, and large countries have their principles of governance. Small countries must not provoke large countries. Large countries do not fight each other because they are evenly matched. They understand that fighting will result in lose-lose situation, but punishing a small country that always makes trouble is easy. The value of a person lies in knowing one's own limitations, and different countries have their ways of survival. Some small countries know their own capabilities and adapt quickly.

The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, but the speech of the upright rescues them. (Proverbs 12:6)

To hate someone all day long, to obsess over hating them, to hate the wrong person and not even realize it—this is ignorance.

The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. A person is commended according to his wisdom, but one of twisted mind is despised. (Proverbs 12:7)

People who do not accept discipline, who listen to no one, end up filling their hearts with twisted words and have no knowledge at all. If they have any knowledge, it is learned from pyramid scheme operators, spouting the same old manipulative rhetoric. The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. Over the past years, I have been very troubled and have made countless attempts to train people to become knowledgeable and capable of learning. This is no easy task, and sometimes I really want to rest. But thank God, I have not given up yet, so I am leading everyone to learn the good habits of spiritual people. After listening to my sermon, you will know how to do it. But after listening to others' sermons on the Book of Proverbs, you will find that they simply read the verses one by one, leaving people unsure of how to apply them, so it is useless.

Strong Self-Esteem Leads to No Success

Better to be lowly and have a servant than to be self-important and lack food. (Proverbs 12:9)

When people are disciplined, their self-esteem is actually being offended. Once people pursue that little bit of self-esteem, thinking that they would rather die than be humiliated, they cannot be disciplined. I am not a person with much self-esteem! If you scold me, argue with me, or even spit on me, I don't react much. From a young age, I have been quite insensitive to such things. Thank God, it is good that God prepared me to be a formidable person, so I can suffer less. Therefore, it doesn't matter if I am looked down upon. The chances of me being looked down upon are higher than for most people, but it doesn't matter. I don't care, and I still have a group of brothers and sisters who follow me wholeheartedly. I don't pursue self-esteem too much because strong self-esteem prevents learning and makes one unable to be disciplined.

In ancient China, becoming an apprentice was not easy. If you wanted to become an apprentice of Confucius and learn from him, it was like studying for a doctorate under an academician at the Academy of Sciences today. In those days, hygiene was poor, and you often had to wash the master's feet, empty his chamber pot, and do such chores. As the saying goes, A teacher for a day is a father for life. If you have strong self-esteem, can you be an apprentice? Even if you go to a small Chinese medicine shop as an apprentice and get angry and quit at the drop of a hat, you will end up accomplishing nothing! Don't have too much self-esteem. Your small pastor is genuinely concerned about your growth. If you are not teachable, your self-esteem will kill you.

Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. (Proverbs 12:11)

You will find that a person who is ignorant and has strong self-esteem pursues vain things. They don't enjoy the good life; instead, they go looking for trouble. They haven't even cultivated their own land or removed the weeds, and their minds are full of fantasies. Brothers and sisters, you must know that I want to train everyone to be people who do proper things and not pursue things like self-esteem or revenge. This is impossible to achieve. In the end, autumn arrives, and others harvest grain while you harvest weeds. Are you going to eat grass every day?

The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous yields fruit. (Proverbs 12:12)

The wicked reject discipline every day and think only about how to take revenge and plot against others. They have no knowledge, do not learn, do not put in effort, and do not do proper things. Instead, they complain against heaven and earth and live a very miserable life, ending up like beasts. They are like the honey badger on the African savanna, spending their life either fighting or on the way to fight.

Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, but the righteous escape trouble. (Proverbs 12:13)

If people do not accept discipline and refuse to submit to anyone, they end up becoming their own trap. Then the things they say are not edifying and are tiring to listen to. After listening to what I have said, you must make corrections accordingly.

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. (Proverbs 12:14)

People say what they think. I have seen people who tell everyone their personal history, how they suffered as a child, and who wronged them when they grew up, as if they were reciting a list of treasures. You can tell at once that they are foolish evildoers. In fact, they are only telling one side of the story. Many things were actually acts of love from others, but they have turned them into hatred. Anyone who has a relationship with them is bound to have a story to tell. If a person does not discern good from evil, and yet is knowledgeable, educated, teachable, and able to be disciplined, and can be rebuked when they do wrong, they will be filled with good things from the fruit of their lips!

Everyone must learn to control their mouths. Before controlling your mouth, first control the logic in your heart. If you think someone has wronged you in ten ways, there are actually ninety other ways in which they have shown you grace. There is a kind of person in this world who is very foolish: they can be treated with great kindness in a thousand ways, but if there is just one slight, they will dismiss everything. They only remember that one bad thing, and I am amazed that there are such people in the world.

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)

Those people think what they say is wonderful, but they are pursuing vain things, which is ignorance. They are thinking about the traps of evildoers, and their mouths are full of others' faults and offenses, or the small history of how others have wronged them. In a nutshell, they think they are right. After listening, we feel that it is better to stay away from them. So fools think everything they do is right; they have not suffered enough. Even if they are disciplined many times, they do not wake up and end up becoming like this.

Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. (Proverbs 12:16)

If they think everyone in the world has wronged them, how can they not be annoyed? Don't they ever stop to think, is that really the case? Have others really wronged them? Probably not; they are probably the ones who have wronged others. They forget all the good things and remember all the bad things. Isn't this the worst of the wicked? This is Cain from Genesis. No one can speak to him or discipline him; he won't listen to anything and always thinks he is right. It gets so bad that he develops mental illness, with visual and auditory hallucinations. He sees others trying to kill him all the time, which is paranoid schizophrenia.

An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies. The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:17-18)

Reckless speech, speech without knowledge, easily pierces like a sword. I have found that no matter what kind of person, when they go to study the local language anywhere, the first thing they learn is how to curse. People developed a smart robot and let it learn language online, and the first thing the robot said was all curses. So people are very good at speaking words that pierce like swords. How good? Even robots learn it quickly. It's really strange! You will also find that children don't need to learn how to argue; they just know how. So reckless speakers don't need knowledge at all, but it is difficult for them to learn things that are truly knowledgeable.

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. (Proverbs 12:19)

So words that pierce like swords are learned very quickly.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. No harm overtakes the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. (Proverbs 12:20-21)

Why does no harm overtake the righteous? Because even if they suffer a little disaster, they immediately wake up and learn from their mistakes. Why do the wicked have their fill of trouble? Because they learn one foolish thing for every mistake, and ten foolish things for every ten mistakes.

The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. (Proverbs 12:22)

The Lord detests the lips of those who lie and constantly curses them, constantly sending demons to torment them. The more demons come, the more they do it, and the more curses they receive, and their lives are ruined.

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but the heart of fools blurts out folly. Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. (Proverbs 12:23-25)

This is all about whether people have knowledge or not. Anxiety weighs down the heart and makes people miserable! At this time, a kind word is needed to discipline and awaken you, and then make your heart rejoice.

The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed themselves from the treasures they have hunted. (Proverbs 12:26-27)

Conclusion: Being Disciplined Is a Path of Life

In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality. (Proverbs 12:28)

Being disciplined is a path of life. Brothers and sisters, you must walk the path of life. That little bit of face and self-esteem of yours is not the path of life. On the path of righteousness, there is not only life, but also truth, knowledge, joy, and wealth. This is what the ancients meant when they said, In books, there are faces like jade, and in books, there are houses of gold. In the way of righteousness, there is life, and everything in life is on God's path of righteousness.

I tell you, be generous, like God, and offer yourself up, become a person of Mingding Destiny, and then God's blessing will flow through you, and many people will be blessed because of you. How can you lack anything? There is no death on this path! If you understand, go back and put it into practice! May God bless you all!