We are struggling right now with a couple of our kids.

Between the attitudes and behavior patterns of a couple of them, we seem to be getting a lot of practice in the area of discipline. Even though it’s hard, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Discipline is a necessary thing, and even a good thing.

Proverbs 13:24 gives us a pretty good insight into the positive benefits:

He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

And Hebrews 12:7-11 gives us another:

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

From these two passages, I see the benefits of disciplining my kids when they need it.

Discipline displays love

Both of these passages suggest that the father (or mother) who loves his children will discipline them. It’s hard to punish our kids when they do wrong sometimes, but to let them get away with it is actually a lack of love. Discipline shows that I have my kids’ best interests at heart, and want them to grow into the men and women that God has created them to be, and that I know that they have the potential to be.

Discipline proves the family connection

Of the three characteristics here, this may seem the most odd. But it does have a point. I don’t generally discipline those who are not my kids. My discipline is reserved for the ones who are part of my family. This, in effect, proves that they are my kids. The correlation here is that when God has to discipline us, his discipline reminds us of the fact that we have been adopted into his family. Helping my own children to understand this is critical.

Discipline results in righteousness

The end result of discipline is righteousness. My discipline of my kids teaches them that certain behaviors and attitudes are unacceptable. Right now, in our family, it seems as if these lessons aren’t sinking in. But I know that they are. It may just take some time before the results become visible. The goal of discipline is to encourage right behavior, and discourage the wrong behavior. God’s discipline is the same: he does this in order to bring about the righteousness that he desires in our lives.

So stay strong, dads! Even though it seems rough right now, know that there are other dads everywhere experiencing the same things. And our fathers experienced it when we were kids too. It may be difficult, but stick to it. Failure to discipline will lead to results that you don’t want to contemplate. Our kids need the consistency of discipline to know that we love them, that we treasure them, and that we want them to grow.

Be deliberate, Dad!

What tips or ideas have you found useful when it comes to discipline? You can leave your thoughts in the comments by clicking here.