How do you deal with discipline? Think back to when you were a child and you disobeyed. Were you disciplined? If so, were you disciplined enough that your behavior changed? How did you react when you felt it was unjustified discipline? As children, we all tend to think our punishment was unwarranted. We rationalize our behavior and convince ourselves that there was nothing wrong with whatever we were disciplined for. I think that is how almost everyone feels about discipline at the time of the infraction. Now, as adults, we understand the purpose and probably think we deserve more than we received.
As a parent, I disciplined my children to teach them the importance of obedience. Sometimes the disciple was to protect them. For instance, if they were playing ball and it rolled into the street they were not to go after it without me. Why? Because their life would be in danger if a car was coming. This is also why I taught them to obey immediately and the first time I told them. If their obedience was dependent on a debate or reasoning out why they shouldn’t run into the street, it could cost them their lives. Yes, I believe a child should obey without question. I think there are times, when age-appropriate, that we should explain why we would not allow certain things, but our explanation should not determine their obedience. With this principle of immediate obedience, we are preparing them to obey God. There will be times in life we do not understand why God wants us to do, or not do, certain things, but He still expects us to obey. Obedience is proof of our love as stated in John 14:15, a verse I use a lot, but also proof of our trust and faith in God. We are to trust Him completely and He will direct us. If we trust Him we don’t have to know the answers, because His knowledge is perfect.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
In the Bible, this discipline is referred to as chastisement. In Hebrews 12:5 the writer is reminding them of this same exhortation found in Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loves he corrected; even as a father the son in whom he delighted.” The word chasten means to reprove, warn, educate, or train by disciplinary action. In verse Proverbs 1:12 and Hebrews 12:6 it is a proof of His love for His children.
Hebrews 12:5-6 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
In Hebrews 12:7-8 enduring chastisement does not mean to just get through it, but rather that it is a testimony that we are His children. If we are doing wrong and He does not chastise us, we are not His children. We are illegitimate, in Biblical times and even today illegitimate children are often abandoned by their fathers and left for the mother to raise. This reinforces the truth that if we are His and we are not seeking to live a holy life He will discipline us.
Hebrews 12:7-8 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”
In the next section of Hebrews 12, the writer reminds us that when our earthly fathers corrected us we gave them respect. Our submission was a show of the position of honor and love we held for them. We understand that the punishment was for our own good, even though it was painful at the time. As a child, I remember being spanked until my will broke. My father didn’t spank me often, but when he did it was effective. He understood the need for spanking until my will broke, and I was ready to submit to his will. I was a stubborn child, and it usually took more punishment for me to break than it did for my sister. He knew if he stopped before my will was submitted to his, the punishment would only make me angry. This is a dangerous place to leave a child. Anger of this nature can lead to even more rebellion. Many times, tears are tears of self-pity but not sorrow they have done wrong. Proper punishment will lend itself to a change of attitude and actions. It will cause the child to have ultimate reverence and respect. If we have done wrong and God chastises us, we should react in the same way.
Hebrews 12:9-10 “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.”
How do you deal with discipline from God? Are you close enough to Him to recognize when He is trying to get your attention to repent? When you know you have sinned do you immediately seek His forgiveness and determine to do what is right? God will start our correction with a still small voice from the Holy Spirit, but if we do not repent, He will take our punishment to the next level. He loves us too much to allow us to sin and continue in our sin until we make shipwreck of our faith. This is what Paul is talking about in I Timothy 1:19-20. In verse 19 some have allowed their conscience to be edited by their behavior. They knew the truth but when the still small voice pricked their hearts, they ignored it to the point they could justify their behavior instead of repenting. They did this so much that they walked away from what was right in God’s eyes and did what they thought was right. He gives us examples of two people who did this. Hymenaeus and Alexander were counted as unbelievers and turned over to Satan. No longer were they God’s child but Satan’s. There was no more hope for them.
I Timothy 1:19-20 “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
How you deal with discipline is vital to the well-being of your soul. It is a matter of Heaven or Hell. It is a testimony of your love for Him or love for yourself. It will be a testimony to your family and friends that can be positive or negative. God is long-suffering and very patient because He loves us, but don’t take those attributes as approval of your actions. Seek Him daily to keep a clean heart and you will never have to worry about making shipwreck of your faith. Be grateful you have a heavenly Father who loves you enough to correct you before it is too late.
