Of Discipline

For Friday, March 7, 2008
Proverbs 29:17

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
he will give delight to your heart.

The purpose of discipline is not to keep your child under control, but to give him opportunity to develop the good character that he is capable of. He is born in sin. If left to his own devices he will develop selfishness, rebellion, meanness, and other such traits. Discipline is the means to correct these tendencies and help him to find the blessing of virtuous traits.

According to the child, discipline will vary. Some children are more self-willed than others. Each child has peculiar tendencies. Some are fearless in their behavior, while others are fearful. The wise parent will take time to understand each child and discipline accordingly.

Oftentimes parents will avoid discipline for the sake of avoiding conflict or avoiding making their child sad. But this shows a lack of discipline in the parent, who looks only to the moment and does not consider the long-term future. It also shows selfishness, as the parent cares more for his or her own feelings at the moment than what is best for the child. The irony is that such a parent is working against himself. He is setting up his child to be a source of contention and
anguish over the years. If he truly values rest and wants to delight in his child, he will discipline himself to exercise fair, consistent discipline with his child.