Part 5: Obedient Hearts “Discipline- Look at the Bright Side”

I think the worst thing about teaching obedience is when we have to punish our children.  It’s one of the “Catch 22’s” in life.  The last thing we want to do is punish our child in anger, yet we hate punishing so much that it’s hard to take action until we are angry.  Yuck.

On a “look at the bright side” note, consider this:  God is even more committed to your child’s growth in character than you are.  In Philippians 1:6 the Apostle Paul writes to his spiritual children, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…”   That should be our attitude toward our children in the home.  Confidence that God cares even more than we parents do about the growth of our children in the image of Christ.  That’s the good work that the Father is doing in the lives of our children.  As moms and dads, we are important tools to be used in the lives of our children.  But we’re not the only tools.  We will someday be absent from the body and present with the Lord.  But that won’t stop His work in the lives of our kids.

 God will never punish your child in anger.  Christ took all of God’s anger on Himself at the cross.  God the Father will only lovingly chastise our kids.  He never goes too far and He never misses an infraction.  He’s the perfect parent.

So struggle on, parent.  Teach, love and comfort.  Discipline when necessary.  Look to the Lord, who loves your children even more than you do.  He will help you to do right.  And when you fail, remember that your children have a heavenly Father who never fails them.  Ever.

~ Rick