Dare to be Disciplined

As a kid, I didn't like the concept of discipline at all. Discipline either caused pain or cramped my lifestyle, neither of which appealed to me. Although it may not have been as often as I remember, I had regular sessions involving the laws of physical energy directed towards certain posterior parts of my body. As a result, I am convinced that this is the main reason it is difficult for me to keep a pair of jeans in place.

Discipline, as a noun, is defined as "Training that corrects, molds, or perfects. Punishment. Control gained by obedience or training: orderly conduct. System of rules governing conduct or practice." I had a slight understanding of 'training that corrects, molds, or perfects', and a total understanding of 'punishment'. I learned that 'obedience' and 'orderly conduct' made my life much less complicated and made my encounters with the 'black belt' less frequent. The 'system of rules' in our household was non-negotiable; only a complete fool would have questioned them. Even though my brother and I were not geniuses, we weren't complete fools, either.

Who was the disciplinarian in my life? It was my father. Occasionally, different ones volunteered for the job, such as the school principal, but my father had already forewarned me that whatever discipline I received at school would pale by comparison to what I would get when I got home. I never questioned my father's right to discipline me. I intuitively knew it probably would not be to my benefit to do so. Was my father abusive? It depends on whose standards are used to make the call. By today's enlightened standards…probably so. By my standards as the one receiving the discipline…absolutely not.

So, when did my opinion about discipline and the disciplinarian change? When I was in my early twenties, three things happened in my life within a few months: 1. I was on my own as a married adult-I was officially out from under my father's discipline. 2. My wife gave birth to the first of our four children-I was soon to be on the opposite end of the discipline process, now as the disciplinarian. 3. I made a personal commitment to God through Jesus Christ-I went back to my original position in the discipline process again, this time with a new disciplinarian…God.

Some may read this and think, "I don't want or need anyone to discipline me-least of all God!" And honestly, there were times I would have agreed with them. But, when I look back over the past 25 years of being disciplined by God and the 22 years of being disciplined by my father, I have to say that neither God nor my father ever did anything in my life that was not the best for me…especially regarding discipline.

The Scriptures have much to say about discipline, both between parent and child and us and God. In Proverbs we read about the need for parents to discipline their child:

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

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

A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but discipline will drive it away.

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

(Proverbs 13:24, 19:18, 22:15, 29:17 NIV)

Proverbs also advises children how they should respond to their parents' discipline:

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

(Proverbs 10:17, 12:1, 13:18, 15:5 NIV)

Some today have completely written off any and all of these principles of parental discipline as archaic and abusive. Could the aberrant behavior we see in some individuals in our society today be related to the discounting and discarding of these 'old-fashioned' principles of discipline? Perhaps only the proponents of discipline would say so, but I can tell you from personal experience that aberrant behavior would have led me directly and hastily to immediate discipline in my father's house.

Finally, we read in Hebrews how the discipline between the parent and child is linked to the discipline between God and His children:

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 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 our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 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 12:5-11 NIV)

Discipline. With the exception of the problem with the jeans, I would have been a warped individual without it.