A Young Man urging Parents to Discipline their Children

“Don’t fail to discipline your children; they won’t die if you spank them.
Physical discipline may well save them from death” (Proverbs 23:13NLT)

“Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won’t kill them.
A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death”
(The Message)

When I was young and dangerous and rebellious my mom always disciplines me. She would punish me for anything I did wrong and when I rebel against her commands. My dad would handle hard cases (which were very seldom) but my mom would normally discipline me and my brother for every obvious sin that we had committed. It was hard to be the bad guy – because we normally cry once we were screwed! Come to think about it, I thank God for her rod of discipline. For if that was absent during my childhood life, I would never be who I am today.

Today, I astonish whenever I see parents did not discipline their children for misbehaves. Shout without action. Patience without correction. Love without discipline.  No wonder children nowadays are spoiled, rebellious as they grow up and disrespect their own parents. I don’t need to be a parent to know the basic need to discipline a child – the Bible is full of God’s commands to do so.

Harold J. Sala writes in his book Raising Godly Kids, “Does the Bible differentiate between discipline and punishment? Yes, clearly it does. The word paideias, usually translated ‘to discipline’ in the New Testament, is much different from the word mastigoi, which means ‘to strike, hit or wound’. Mastigoi was used of Jesus Christ when He was scourged by the Roman soldiers. Paideias, which was also translated ‘to instruct or give guidance to’, was used of a father’s guidance of his son, or even an instructor’s correction of a student”.

I urge parents to discipline (paideias) their children not to punish (mastigoi) them. Child’s needs correction not closed-eyes treatment. It’s not because they had done wrong – though they are – but because there are certain things shouldn’t be allowed because the Word of God said so. Anger generates punishment but love, if you love your children, generates discipline. By doing this, parents remain in control.  And children, nowadays need parents who are in control of the family. Discipline is both necessary and effective – parents should know that! [P.s: They are many way to discipline a child aside from physical discipline.]

In the Bible, God disciplines those whom He loves. Hebrew 12:10-11 says, “God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way”. In the same way, the godly parents are to discipline their children with love just like our Father in Heaven.

“Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.

Those who love their children care enough to discipline them”

(Proverbs 13:24NLT).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.