Discipline

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.


Ah yes, the discipline of a child – it can be such a testy topic, can’t it? Yet, so often, when we talk of disciplining our children, we are talking of spankings or time-outs – times when we have to "discipline" them for disobedience. We have become so narrow-minded in our thinking in regard to what this word means.

In Webster’s Dictionary there are many definitions, but there are a few that really stand out to me in this instance: "punishment inflicted by way of correction and training; training to act in accordance with rules; activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill." My Holman Bible Dictionary sheds even more light in this area, stating, "Discipline comes from a Latin word "disco" which means to learn or get to know, a direct kind of acquaintance with something or someone. Discipline refers to the process by which one learns a way of life. A disciple was like an apprentice who was learning a trade or craft from a master. Such learning required a relationship between the master who knew the way of life (discipline) and a learner (a disciple). Within this relationship, the master led a learner through a process (the discipline) until the learner could imitate or live like the master."

So, we need to be constantly disciplining our children (or grandchildren, or nieces, or nephews, or neighbors – whatever children we are around), not through punishment, although that is a necessary part of it (anyone on the receiving end of punishment from God knows this). We simply need to be in a relationship with them, living the life we want them to live, and showing them what it is to be disciplined, and a disciple of Christ. Our discipline has to go so much farther than simple time-outs and spankings. We must discipline them to pick up after themselves, to take care of the stuff God has given us to use, to be good steward of our time, money, and possessions. Discipline is an every day, every moment thing that our children are picking up from us at all times.

Let’s take this even farther to say that while we are disciplining our children, we are disciples of the Living God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and this must also be a daily, every moment thing. We are His "sons," and what more do we want than to delight the soul of our Heavenly Father! I love that the Holman Bible Dictionary tells us that discipline is a "process by which we learn a way of life." That is what we are in – process – learning the way of life Jesus lived out for us as an example. If we are to pass on any sort of discipline to our children, we must first be disciples of the only One who can bring true discipline into each of our lives, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s let God discipline us today, so that we, in relationship with those around us, can lead the way to a disciplined, peaceful life in Christ.