Hi, I’m Joni Tada with a word about punishment and discipline.
Not long ago I was listening to my girlfriend who was recounting how severely and recklessly her father used to punish her. Bless her heart; he was not good at all in controlling his anger, and when someone in the family stepped out of line? They paid the consequences. They felt it, whether on their backside or a smack across the head. My heart grieved to hear my friend say these things about her father, but they were true. I'm sure what her father doled out would now be considered physical abuse.
I tell you, listening to my friend? It really made me appreciate my own father. My daddy never had a problem with anger; he never had a hard time controlling his temper. He was a sweet-natured man, my daddy, and I am much blessed to look back on my childhood with him. Oh, Daddy would punish us girls; me and my three older sisters, but he used to say it hurt him to smack my backside, as much as it hurt me ('course I strongly doubted that at the time). But when I dried my tears, and it was time to come out of my room, I knew my daddy had the best of intentions. Never was he abusive. Daddies, good daddies, don't take delight in punishing their children. Or, at least, most dads don't. Yet, fathers do get angry when we disobey; I mean, what parent hasn't experienced anger over the disobedience of their child? But that anger all goes wrong (terribly wrong) when it ends up energizing the spanking; when it heaps on unnecessary force or pain, when it makes the punishment far greater than the offense. Sadly, some parents feel self-satisfaction in reaching for the rod.
But God is different. He is completely different. We can say for certain that our heavenly Father never takes delight in punishing His children. He gets no 'kick' from it. His anger is not quenched by it. He gains no satisfaction in it. So what does energize God when it comes to discipline? Hebrews chapter 12, verses 10-11 have the answer: “…God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Oh friend, this is God's motive: our training in righteousness. We are not His whipping post, no matter what our sin. We are His children and He wants us to share in His holiness. It is in this, He takes delight.
God is not a celestial killjoy who hides a club behind His back, hoping to catch one of us in trouble so He can exercise His divine right to punish. I mean, just consider Ezekiel chapter 18, verses 31-32 where God says, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live.” Right there, we have it: God pleads with us to get a new heart regarding our sinful habits; after all, who wants to have to be punished? I don’t want to embarrass my Heavenly Father or shame Him or push Him to discipline me if I choose to wander off the path. God says in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 9, “Repent and live! We have all had human fathers who disciplined us, how much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!” It’s good advice. So friend, the moral of this story is, if you’ve been coddling sin close to your heart—you know, reaching for things or for people that you shouldn’t—be warned. Let it go. Get a new heart; make righteousness your choice… share in His holiness and live.
© Joni and Friends, 2013
Compliments of Joni and Friends
PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376