Love Your Children? Discipline Them!

Mmm, the sweet smell of a new baby. And the joy that is set to overflow when God causes a new life to be brought into your very arms. Just the thought makes me want another! Truly what a blessing children are! That is what God intends them to be. That is what they are if they are loved. Why does the world think children are a burden and why do so many mothers feel the same way about their own flesh and blood? Did they not have the burst of joy I had when I birthed my children? Did they not swim in the emotion for weeks and months there after? I believe they did; it is normal maternal instinct. But sin. Yes, sin and babies go hand in hand. They were born into sin just like you and I. And soon, as they grow, it begins to show itself in ways that the world has deemed as just normal and childish behavior. And any child left to continue in that state is hindered from becoming the blessing God has intended him to be. With parents scared and confused about discipline it's no wonder there are more brats then blessings. Shame on us mothers! Shame? That's what the Bible says about a child that has no discipline or discipleship. Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother." We know it all to well, a mother is going somewhere or is having company and warns the kids to behave and not embarrass her, then she is upset with them for their ill behavior. I believe in most cases it is unwarranted, since she has failed to love them by not training them! Love equals discipline. Yes, there are others ways we love our children but discipline is a most important factor in their growth. Proverbs 13:24 " Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." I know many of us think we discipline our children to our best ability. But in order for it to count it must be done diligently! We cannot be slack concerning the outcome of our children! Proverbs 23:13 "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol." No there is no guarantee that disciplining your children will cause them to be regenerated. But it will cause their heart to be much more apt to submit to God's authority when they have submitted to yours. It may sound harsh to some, but consider the options: discipline my child and give them understanding, or spoil them and cause them to despise wisdom and become fools. If we love our children then I think our course of action is clear. We must discipline them diligently. We cannot wait until dad gets home, we must maintain the order of the home. God has called parents to be over their children, this is not a democracy. This too, is a way we honor our husbands, by training the children when he is not home so they are a blessing to him. We must not tune out sinful behavior hoping they will grow out of it, be warned they will continue in it in their heart and be swallowed up by selfish desires. We need to hone in on the areas of sin our children are struggling with and help them see it clearly by taking them to God's word when we discipline and disciple them. And if they are still to young to reason with, then we must begin to cause their will to surrender. It may sound like a task that is insurmountable, but God has given us the responsibility and the authority to carry it out and He will provide the means. And your children will become a source of blessing to not only your family but to all around them! May God renew your love for your children today, by giving you a fresh vision for bringing your children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, for His glory! Ephesians 6:4