Asking for It

(Pro 18:6 KJV) A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

I remember when James Dobson wrote and spoke about parenting.  One of the pictures he painted was the way in which children are often calling out for discipline.  They resist.  They kick and scream but his point was that inside they were glad when the hammer came down.  It gave them a sense of security knowing that there were fences and limitations.  

In another way there are people who seem to be looking for trouble.  We see other places in Proverbs where some people are not happy unless they can make life miserable.  There are others who are not happy unless they can provoke someone else.  

So?  I am not sure if this means we are to ignore them or give them what they are asking for.  I would imagine that our discernment would give us the answer in each situation.  The Bible is full of times when people endured and other times when they openly rebuked.  Pray for guidance and don’t put your mind in neutral.