My dad did not always
walk with the Lord, but he took these verses to heart. He was a strong disciplinarian while I was
growing up. He was the ruler of our home
and we did what he told us to do or else faced the consequences. I grew up back in the day when parents could
use the rod to discipline their children.
For my dad it was his belt and he knew more than one way to use his
belt. He wore it to help hold up his
pants and he also used it to help correct me when I needed it.
I never did enjoy my
dad’s discipline, but one thing is for sure, I learned what it was to respect
and obey him. Sometimes I was a slow
learner, but learn I did. As I look back
on those years, I know now that I needed his corrections. My being spanked did not kill me. It did tend to kill my rebellious
spirit. My dad’s discipline helped to
shape my character. I learned right from
wrong and that it was far to my advantage to do what is right as opposed to the
wrong. Now, don’t get me wrong; I still
did wrong things, but when I did I always tried to keep them from his watchful
eyes.
Discipline is good
for us as long as it is not out of control and harmful to our well-being. It is never okay to discipline a child out of
uncontrolled anger. As long as it is done
with love and with the purpose of teaching us to choose to do what is right, it
can be a good thing.
It is also good for us
to be disciplined by the Lord. We often
need correcting because we tend to not do what is right before Him. We need His loving and firm hand upon us to keep
us from wandering away from Him. It may
hurt for a while, but just like I survived my dad’s discipline growing up, we
survive quite well. When we submit to
the Lord’s rule over us, we become the people God longs for us to be, a people
after His own heart, a holy people.
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