I Believe - My Ministry (Day 3)

3.  I believe that I must discipline my children.

"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth..."  (Hebrews 12:6)  When I go astray, God corrects me because He loves me and wants to guide me back to the right path.  Our love for our children should also extend into this area.  Regardless of the word you use - reproof, correction, rebuke, discipline - it all adds up to the same thing.  I believe that I am responsible for teaching my children that their actions have consequences and that choosing to disobey authority will result in consequences that are less than enjoyable.

Of course, I don't believe that discipline is the mere handing out of punishment.  I also believe that I should not discipline my children in anger or with the intent to cause them harm.  True Biblical discipline is merely an extension of my responsibility to instruct my children that God expects obedience from them.  They are instructed in the Bible to obey God, their parents, and other authority figures.  Therefore, I must first teach them that obedience is expected.  When disobedience occurs (and it will happen, after all, they are only human), I must remind them that they were disobedient and that repentance is in order.  By reinforcing the principles of obedience and repentance when I discipline my children, I believe that each opportunity for correction can help them mature and grow in God's will.