HOW DO YOU DISCIPLINE?

Jeremiah's prayer in Jeremiah 10:23 is, "Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; not with your anger, or you will bring me to nothing." If we are a true child of God, He will correct us as all parents correct their children. God corrects us because He loves us and doesn't want to leave us in the state we are. He wants to mature us and conform us to the image of His son.



We should discipline our children the same way God disciplines us--out of love for our children. We do not want our children to be in a state of disobedience and foolishness, but to mature and grow into the image of God. This will happen as we discipline with justice and never with anger.



That's the difference between positive discipline and negative discipline. We execute positive discipline with justice, knowing that we must discipline for disobedience, rebellion and disrespect. We cannot allow our children to continue in this behavior and we have a responsibility before God to correct them with justice in order that they will learn to live the ways of God.



But negative discipline is executed with anger and frustration. Angry discipline will not benefit children. It will bring them to nothing and make them angry. Angry discipline usually happens when we do not discipline immediately. Instead, children are allowed to get away with things. They are told do so something but continue in disobedience. By the time the mother has asked the child to do something for the 10th time, she is now frustrated and angry and may discipline in anger! This is ineffective discipline. All you have taught your child is that they do not have to obey until you are screaming and angry. You have taught them delayed obedience which is disobedience. You have caused them to get angry inside and you have given into anger also.



Do it God's way. Execute justice immediately. Your child will learn the true justice of God and you will be disciplining in love. If children do not learn that there is judgment for sin, they will never understand the justice of God. Many people believe in a God of their own imagination. They see God as one who lets them do whatever they feel. Oh yes, God is a God of compassion, but not of tolerance for sin. He delights in justice.



May God give us great wisdom and teach us how to discipline with justice, but never in anger.