January 23
Genesis 41-42
Psalm 14
Proverbs 3:11-12
Matthew 14:22-36
Discipline
“My son, do not reject the discipline of Yahweh or loathe His reproof. For whom Yahweh loves He reproves, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.”
Proverbs 3:11-12 LSB
I don’t think I really understood the idea of God’s discipline being a reflection of His love until I became a mother. The first time I had to discipline Emily I remember being struck with sadness because I didn’t want to see her unhappy, but at the same time I loved her too much to continue to let her be disobedient because I could see the consequences she would face. That reality only got stronger as the disobedience grew from touching an electrical outlet to not wanting to share her toys and then to hanging out with someone that I didn’t think was a good influence. Each time and countless others, my desire was to protect and shield her from negative consequences. I knew what was best and I wanted her to obey me so that she would be spared the inevitable pain of doing what she wanted and not listening to me. As she and her sister grew older and tested their limits, I understood that sometimes the discipline did hurt me worse than it hurt them. It was easier to let them do what they wanted. It was almost always less stressful to just give in. I didn’t have to deal with the tantrum or the sulking. I didn’t have to listen to the complaining if I took away their phone or grounded them. If I took away their keys I knew that meant I would have to drive them everywhere.
In those times, I had to remind myself constantly that my goal was not to make them happy, my goal was to raise godly adults. I can’t say that I always got it right. Sometimes I gave in and let them have their way and sometimes I disciplined in anger. Sometimes I thought I was doing the best thing for them and looking back, I’m not sure I got it right. Thankfully, God is a much better parent than I am. He always knows best and His discipline is always consistent and done in love. He knows what will get my attention and what He needs to do to bring about the best result in my life. If he didn’t love me, He would not take the time and effort to discipline me. There is a difference between discipline and punishment. Punishment is inflicting pain on someone for wrongdoing. It is done to make you pay for an offense you have committed. Discipline on the other hand is done for the purpose of training and teaching. It may involve inflicting pain or discomfort, but the purpose in not primarily to make you pay a penalty for the offense. He loves us too much to allow us to continue in sin. While it isn’t pleasant at the time, we should be grateful for His reproof and accept His correction as evidence of His love.
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