Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,
 but whoever heeds reproof is honored.   Proverbs 13:18

A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.   Proverbs 15:12

Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death.  Proverbs 19:18

think about it.
Discipline is more about teaching and correction than punishment. How do you see that in these verses? What does godly discipline produce in a person? How does that benefit him or her now and in the future?

When I punish (punitively), it's more about revenge.  When I correct and teach, my children grow, and out relationship is strengthened.  So why do I forget that in the heat of the moment?!   Perhaps O need to internalize that more so it is my first response.  The closer I am to my God, the more likely I will respond as He wants me to.  Seems so obvious, huh? 

Godly discipline also benefits them -- they are encouraged to draw closer to God, and prepares them to live as a believer and to perpetuate it with their kids....and so on...

discipline...a good thing!

think about it.
Why is discipline an act or proof of love? What problem is discipline meant to help with (22:15; 23:13-14)? What's the upside of godly discipline (29:15)? What happens if we fail to discipline?

 Discipline is intended to make us more like our Heavenly Father,  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  Obviously, we can't be perfect...at least yet, until we are in the presence of Holy God, but that should still be our goal.  Hebrews 12 tells us to "not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”  Therefore, we're reminded to "endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!  They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 

Discipline is intended to help us become better than we are naturally.  "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."

Failure to discipline (our selves or our children) makes us disgrace our parents, and shows that we are foolish (Proverbs 29:15).    God loves us enough to discipline us, and tells us that "those who love their children care enough to discipline them" (Proverbs 13:24).

In the end, we are COMMANDED  "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).  I trust the character of God enough that I KNOW His will is what will bring me deep and abiding joy.  

Today, I pray that I can submit to His discipline in focusing completely  on finishing my chem take-home test and preparing adequately for the final...and that I can give appropriate attention to discipling/disciplining my kids, for THEIR good! Let me be the godly example, Lord, by FIRST disciplining myself and bringing honor to you.

Discpline

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. Hebrews 12:11

It may come as a surprise, but I don't mind being disciplined as much as I used to.  As a kid, I resented it, and did my best to get around it, even to the point of sneaking out of the house by climbing onto the roof from the balcony and shimmying down to the garage, where I (gasp!) took my mother's station wagon and went joyriding!  (I can't believe I just confessed that on the internet -- just sayin' I obviously  NEEDED some discipline!)

Part of what God really drove home to me after my salvation (and during my sanctification!) was a new sense of humility.  For the first time in my life, I started to realize that it wasn't all about me.  (Have I got that down pat yet? Nooooo...thank God there is a process of sanctification!  I get to keep practicing!)  The difference is that I can recognize my humility lapses more quickly, and that I'm more heart-willing to submit to God's discipline, because He's shown me evidence that he DOES harvest righteousness and peace in my life afterward!


Someone had to point out to me that the root word of DISCIPLINE is DISCIPLE.  As I read the gospels again this year, I see again how Jesus chose His disciples, loved them, taught them -- and yes, disciplined them -- but always for their own eternal benefit.  I yearn to be refined as they were (although it does make me take a big GULP! as I say that -- kinda' like that feeling when you got to the edge of the high dive as a kid, and you were ready to jump. Gives me shivers as I write this, and yet I kept going back for more!)  Diving in with Jesus, becoming His disciple looks kinda' scary...but because I know that I know that I know I can trust Him to make me better tan I ever could on my own....I keep coming back for more!  I DO look forward to standing in His presence in eternity...and hope that He will be able to say (with some fervor!), "Well done, good and faithful one!"