Discipline is a big stick? Or a hug?

 

Our study group talked about God's discipline. Some viewed that word as harsh rebuke. Some understood it as training, much like the discipline of a runner getting ready for a marathon.Today I looked up verses about God's discipline and found that it can be negative and seem harsh, or loving and gently corrective. The negatives are more about the results or responses than about God's attitudes when He disciplines:

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. (2 Samuel 7:14–15)
O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! (Psalm 38:1)
The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. (Psalm 118:18)
By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond. (Proverbs 29:19)
And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. (Jeremiah 7:28)

On the positive side, the reason God disciplines is because He loves His children and wants the best for us. Believing that makes seeking His will much easier.

“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. (Job 5:17)
Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, (Psalm 94:12)
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, (Proverbs 3:11)
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1)
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:32)
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5–11)
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:19)

I’ve noticed when parents discipline their children, it can be motivated because the child is annoying them. Other parents are motivated by love and use discipline to train their child to be wise and well-behaved. Most children seem to realize which motive is behind the correction.

It is wise to remember that God is not dealing with me because I am annoying Him. While I could be acting badly, His reason for correction is always for my good.

PRAY: Oh Father, thank You for Your love and grace. It shows up when I’ve behaved foolishly and You bring correction to me. You always do it with a hug rather than a big stick and an angry scowl. Help those whose earthly fathers were motivated more by annoyance than love that they will realize You are not like that. Remind us often that You love us — and that You discipline us so we will become more like You.
P.S. Monday I told You that I’d really like to have some pink tulips. Then yesterday, a neighbor came to our door with a gift for me — a vase filled with pink tulips! My eyes are still leaking.

Growing in grace includes this . . .

The idea of God disciplining people carries many connotations. Some will liken it to the actions of an abusive parent. Others will dismiss it as if God doesn’t care and looks the other way. Scripture says much on this matter and quite frankly, for me the bottom line is that I’m glad God accepts me as I am but equally glad that He isn’t leaving me that way. He teaches, trains, disciplines, even punishes me so that I will be more like a reflection of His image — His intent in creating all of us.

In the OT, DISCIPLINE is often translated from a word that essentially means “to punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.” This is used as a strong warning to God’s people who are deliberately disobeying Him.

“And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied. But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. (Leviticus 26:23–28)

As harsh as this sounds, the same word is in this verse about Solomon who became King after his father David died.

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. (2 Samuel 7:14–15)

The psalmist realized that God’s discipline is a blessing: “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law.” (Psalm 94:12) God wants the best for us.

Another word translated DISCIPLINE seems easier to receive. It means “training to improve strength or self-control” yet the intention is the same. God knows that “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.” (Proverbs 5:22–23) He also knows that “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1) and explains His discipline this way: “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24)

This is loving discipline that wants the best for a child, not the selfish discipline of ‘quit it because you are annoying me.’

The NT has parallel word translated as DISCIPLINE. One means “to be or become subjected to a penalty (as pain, shame, restraint, or loss) for an offense in order to induce some behavior.” Most parents know that some children need tough love to stay out of trouble. Our son was only 3 or 4 when he kept running across a busy street to play with a friend. He didn’t look for cars or listen to our warnings. I told him if he did it again, he would stay in bed all day. He did it the next morning and had lunch and supper in his crib. Harsh? Maybe, but he never did it again.

God also uses this word to say, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

Another word translated DISCIPLINE means “upbringing or teaching, the whole training and education of children (both the cultivation of mind and morals); includes commands, admonitions, reproof, and punishment.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

I understand this to mean I’m to be the same kind of loving parent that God is toward me.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Hebrews 12 points out that God disciplines those He loves. I am treated as His child.  If He didn’t discipline me, this would indicate that I am not in His forever family. Therefore, I should not get tired of His training, even the chastening part because God adopted me into His family and wants me to share in His holiness. Discipline isn’t fun at the time, but the results are the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” and that makes discipline a genuine blessing.