“No discipline seems pleasant at the
time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest
of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by
it.”
Heb. 12:11 (NIV)
People are strange. We want what is best for our children
and yet some of us see others not allowing their children the experience of
learning that something they have done is wrong.
In the Old Testament God called Moses to task when he hit
the rock to have water come from it. God told him to talk to the rock. As a
result, Moses was not allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that, while we undergo our
discipline, it probably will at least be embarrassing maybe even painful. The
writer says we will gain wisdom and learn of God’s ways.
God instructed Moses to speak to a rock in order for water
to come out. Instead, Moses struck the rock. The water gushed forth but God was
displeased. Moses chose to do this the way God had told him before. God had a
different plan and Moses miffed it. Because of Moses’ error, God forbade him
from leading the Israelite children into the Promised Land.
Once, when our son was small, we were visiting Hubby’s
sister and brother-in-law. Our boy fell asleep on her couch. When I went to
pick him up, he awakened and knocked my glasses off my face.
I reacted by smacking him on the hand. My sister-in-law got
indignant. You would have thought I had hurt him. “I never want to see you do
that again. I don’t like seeing kids beat on.” A few weeks later, we were at a
park getting ready to watch fireworks with my dad and stepmother. Hubby had
told the story. My stepmother alluded to the incident. I felt like
I was never going to hear the end of it. She just laughed
and said,” If they are old enough to do it and it’s wrong, they are old enough
to learn not to do it.” I never had any problem with disciplining our child
around my side of our family.
Yes, discipline can cause pain but can cause us to learn
things that will help us to become stronger in our Christian lives, if we
accept it and learn from it.
graphic:wwwstclarepdx.org