An Advantage of Discipline: Resilience
Children understand discipline better than adults. I remember swatting my daughter once for disobedience. She cried, and someone visiting commented on it, but I knew it was necessary.
My second son used to be terrified of being flogged, but over time, discipline shaped him. One day, on a ride home from church, he and his younger brother were causing trouble. After several warnings, I decided to discipline them at home. At first, I almost forgot, but I reminded myself that discipline must be consistent. So, I gave them their strokes. What amazed me was how my son, who used to be terrified of flogging, now stood still and took it without resistance. That is the power of discipline—it builds strength.
START OVER: CHILD DISCIPLINE (PART 1)
Boarding school has also played a role in toughening him. Sometimes, he comes home and shares stories about how the teachers discipline students in his school. While part of me wonders if I should question the school, I also recognize that this discipline is shaping them. It’s making them resilient, so that when faced with challenges in life, they can endure.
READ NEXT: CHILD DISCIPLINE (PART 10)
Discipline is a Mark of Love
If God corrects His children because He loves them, then parents should do the same for their children. Hebrews 12 teaches us that if you are not disciplined, then you are not truly His child. Discipline is not meant to harm us but to make us stronger and prepared for His purpose. Whether through small corrections or long seasons of hardship, God’s discipline shapes us for greater things.
Good training of any kind takes time, patience, and discipline. As God’s children, we should not despise discipline; neither should we fail to discipline the children that He has entrusted to us.
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