The Father’s Discipline

Don’t say that! Do you want me to wash your mouth out with soap?

Children easily pick up bad language from playmates and television. In anger, they can also talk back to their parents. I don’t remember ever having a literal mouth washing, yet I get the point. Bad behavior has consequences.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV).”

God’s children need discipline, too.

“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 12:7-11 ESV).”