Category Archives: Discipline of children

Discipline of children, Guests

My Find

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A find I didn’t know I had.

Off and on for much of this fleeting Saturday, I have invested in studying for tomorrow’s Bible lesson during Sunday School hour at First Baptist Satsuma. And in the process I chased a number of rabbits. :) I do that often with the various study tools I have. This one is Logos. Isn’t it delightful when you find you have something you didn’t know you had?

So reading, clicking and exploring my Logos Library I found the following and decided I’d post a small portion of my find here. I am thinking of my grandchildren. Perhaps you have children or grandchildren that will come to  mind as well:

Selecting a Mate

Many young people have a romantic expectation of meeting someone who is erotically attractive and elicits a mysterious sense of compatibility. “Falling in love” hits like a powerful religious experience and is taken to be the voice of God: “This is the one for you.” Christian young people are sitting ducks for this deception.

They need compelling instruction that identifies Christian love as service love, founded on a decision, drawing from the emotions but not grounded in them. They also need wise criteria for selecting a spouse. We suggest they consider questions like the following:

—What kind of life is God calling you to live? What kind of spouse would support that?

—What kind of person would likely make a good father or mother for your children?

—What personality traits would put additional stress on your personal weaknesses?

—What are the important qualities in a spouse “for the long haul”? How do attractive appearance and an urbane sense of humor rate over time with a trait like faithfulness?[1]

I wonder how many divorces would have been avoided had the marriages been predicated on these criteria?  I also wonder how many godly homes would have been established?  It is not too late for this generation if our generation will make some changes. 

Food for thought.

Happy Saturday, my Friends,

Christian Living, Discipline of children, Guests

World Changing

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My You Version devotions have been excellent in addressing family dynamics. Today’s is no less worthy of bringing to you here at The White Stone.

DISCIPLINE

Every child is a bundle of raw emotions and energies. The role of the parent is to help the child control himself so that these emotions and energies are not destructive but constructive. Discipline is simply teaching a child to control himself.

There is a vast difference between punishment and discipline. Punishment is getting even. Discipline is inflicting a smaller amount of pain on a person than he would receive if he were permitted to go on unchecked in his action. For example, if your small child reaches out to touch a hot stove, you grab his hand and slap it sharply. You have inflicted pain on the child, but the pain is far less than what he would receive if he were permitted to go ahead and touch the stove. That is discipline.

God disciplines His children, but He does not punish them. Punishment occurs when a person wants to hurt someone as badly as he has been hurt. But God’s Word clearly says: If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12: 7-11).

via Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with God | YouVersion.com.

Discipline is simply teaching a child to control himself.

Punishment is getting even.

Oh, that parents EVERYWHERE would control themselves and heed these holy instructions!

And would it not be glorious if all Father’s children would get it through our heads and drop it down into our hearts that our GOD does NOT PUNISH us – His children? GETTING EVEN with us is NEVER what Father does. His discipline, anything and everything He allows to come upon His born-again ones are to teach us to yield to His Spirit so we will have the power to control our own flesh, emotions, and our very souls. And would it not be world-changing if human parents would imitate GOD, especially when DISCIPLINING their children?

Blessings of Joy and Peace,

Blessings of peace and honor, joy and glorifying our great and Holy King be upon you all this very day.  Father may it be that all we Your Born Again Ones will imitate You today for JESUS’ sake.  

Christian Living, Discipline of children

Well then . . . Picture It!

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Yesterday’s Father’s Day sermon at First Baptist Satsuma was excellent. As the Pastor was reading a particular verse I said ‘how long has that been there?’ Not aloud, of course. However there was some out loud comments – that’s another story. Like I said it was a really good sermon!

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. via Ephesians 6 NASB – Family Relationships – Children, obey – Bible Gateway.

Fathers. And I am pretty sure ABBA means Mothers too. Do not provoke your children to anger. Okay so I’ve known that from day one. However it was like a light coming on in a dark room when I read the rest. The way we provoke our children to anger (wrath as the King James reads) is to refuse to DISCIPLINE them and INSTRUCT them IN the ways of THE LORD.

We now have a world of angry, wrath filled, loud, unruly children and here is the reason.

But here is more indictment that ABBA gave me as I considered this piece to write.

Proverbs 13:24 The Message (MSG)

24 A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
love your children by disciplining them.
via Proverbs 13:24 MSG – A refusal to correct is a refusal to – Bible Gateway.

So what is discipline anyway?

Is it yelling at them ‘wait till your father comes home’?  Perhaps we don’t do that anymore.

Is it repeatedly saying from the couch, ‘don’t do that again’. And then when again comes, Mom or Dad is still sitting on the couch?

Is it long speeches about how it use to be to the brazen ears of an adolescent? 

And the scenarios could go on and on.

Obviously I am NO expert in the field of discipline but I know Someone who is – James Dobson is close – :) and I am sure he is because he got his information from the ONE. ABBA. Himself.

This is what comes to mind.

Titus 1:2 King James Version (KJV)
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
via Titus 1:2 KJV – In hope of eternal life, which God, – Bible Gateway.

Hebrews 6:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
via Hebrews 6:18 KJV – That by two immutable things, in which – Bible Gateway.

Do you see it? GOD CANNOT LIE. And look what that means to us. Strong consolation. Promises. Refuge. Hope.

Have we considered that when we promise a child discipline for certain behavior and they do not get that discipline, we are LIARS?  And who trusts a liar? DO YOU? Well then . . . let us get off our couches and do what we say. Not only in discipline but everything! The fun and the sad!!

But that is not all!

When we get off that couch (and before we sat down on that couch) have we instructed them in THE LORD? 

Have we prayed with them? Have we memorized Scripture with them? Have we lived out the ways of THE LORD before them?  Well, no wonder they are angry and loud and unruly and crying out NOTICE ME!

Pastor gave a great illustration yesterday. He said that bringing them up is not standing at the top of the mountain yelling down at them to get up here.  But it is being down there on the mountain side with them LEADING them up to the top. Picture it! What a difference!!

It all boiled down to this for me. Do I love them enough to discipline them? Do I love them enough to be inconvenienced by them? Do I love them enough to humble MYSELF before GOD and raise them HIS WAY? And if I don’t they will SURELY be provoked to anger – wrath.

I did not do this well with my daughters and I’ve made mistakes with my GRANDS already. BUT I’m learning because my ABBA though the HOLY SPIRIT is right here on this mountainside with me leading and encouraging me to come to the top with Him.  Picture it! It will make a difference!!

And right now I need to wrap this up because two GRANDS have been very patient and quiet with their Mamaw as I have sat here to write this piece and I am going to reward them hugely!!!  :)

ABBA, thank You. I love you, DADDY GOD. You are FATHER and You are AWESOME.  Thank You. And, HOLY SPIRIT, I pray this offering of writing will be a tool that You can use to help. And this morning is Dori’s surgery and Kerri’s test. I love both these women and I am asking You for miracles for both of them. Miracles of healing and restoration and long lives that will give You glory and turn many many hearts to You for salvation and restoration.  Thank You, ABBA, in JESUS name.  amen and amen.

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!