do it in love…

look at this verse, ephesians 6.4 (lb) says to parents, don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful.  rather, bring them up with loving discipline.

notice the phrase, “loving discipline.” you’ve got to have discipline.  discipline is an act of love. it’s saying, “you matter too much to me to let you get away with this.  i care about you.  i’m not going to let you ruin your life.  i’m not going to let you blow it.  you’re important – very important – to me.  so i have to set some boundaries.”

kids who have no discipline are not loved. 

the bible says we should always discipline out of love and not out of anger.  how many of us have been failures at that?  all of us!  i’m amazed sometimes at the things i said to my own children, the people that i love the most.  how could i say that?  i love these kids.  yet when you get ticked off, you discipline in anger, rather than in love. 

when you discipline in anger (boss, somebody at work, or teacher, some student who has got out of line in class) you may get the appropriate behavior at that point in the short term, but you are sowing seeds of rebellion that will reap a harvest of failure later on. 

discipline in love, correct without condemning.  put yourself in their shoes. 

a good book that’s been out for a while – not a CHRISTian book – is the one minute manager.  it

talks about one minute praisings and one minute reprimands, how to correct without condemning.  check it out. 

just a thought from the front porch…