Discipline! Do not despise it...

Proverbs 3:11-12 states: "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."

Can I ask you a question? Are you delighting in your son/daughter before you are disciplining them?

It's a pretty good question to consider, don't you think?

Here's what I think it means practically. I think it means that we as dads would be keen to spend most of our time enjoying our children, encouraging our children, laughing with our children, being affectionate with our children, and dare I say, enjoying our children so that there is a deep bond of love and joy between us & our child(ren).

So why do we discipline?

So that we can keep them on the path of wisdom and righteousness (Prov 20:7). Not because we are embarrassed, frutsrated or angry, but so that we can train them in wisdom and righteousness.

Frankly dads, this has to be modeled to our children. Our wife and children need to see us submitting to authority and welcoming correction from those whom we love and respect (friends, family members, colleagues, our church family). They also need to see us repenting of our own sin, receiving forgiveness, and walking in restoration with God the Father by empowering grace. In other words, - "a good father will live out the gospel every day in fellowship with God and his child, and he knows what to do about sin in his child's life because he's been dealing with his own sin in his own life first". (Driscoll, Pastor Dad, pg. 8)

This is a big call men. Just the other night I had the opportunity to discipline my son, but I had to ask myself, have I delighted in him lately? I need to change in this too men, but I wanted to share with you what I am learning... May we as men rise up and walk in the role we have been entrusted with. To parent with an eternal perspective, by the grace of God!