Loving Discipline Leads to Life – (Proverbs 22:15)

Daily Bible Study
All of mankind has a sin-nature about them, we are all born with a fallen nature. And because of this, a child will learn to do wrong all on their own without our help. This also means they will look closely at our actions and pick up the bad things we do as well as the good things. However, they will not learn to do good without our help. They will not learn to do good unless they are taught by loving parents. This passage speaks as much on relationship as it does on discipline. Why is that? Because God calls us to have a loving, godly relationship with our children. A relationship which includes love, kindness, mercy, compassion and discipline. Therefore, we must take the time to teach our children and be godly examples for them first and foremost. We have to remember children learn more from our actions and watching us relate to each other.

They will learn more by seeing first hand the healthy and loving relationships we have with our spouses and with them, than they will from what we tell them. This means before discipline is ever needed, there must first have been the open communication and a relationship of love between mother and father, then between parents and children. In addition, the parents must first also have a close relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to show the mercy and compassion of godly love toward each other and their family. Also the child must have the good moral grounding to understand why a particular behavior was wrong and the impact such behavior has on others and on society. This moral grounding comes not only from children being taught by their parents, but more so from what is modeled for them by their parents. Discipline without mercy, grace, remorse and empathy creates anger and meanness toward others. Therefore, we are called to first show love, compassion, mercy and grace, while first having a relationship with our children, in order for any type of discipline to be effective or appropriate.