Discipline (Proverbs 19:18)

To chasten is to correct and correction is a good thing.

"Discipline your son while there is hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin." Proverbs 19:18, Amplified

Discipline is a good thing, it is a tool for correction. It is rooted in the word disciple, or one who follows. So in essence, discipline is simply bowing to the ways of another.

I will not go into the verses in Hebrews that talk about the Lord being our Father and how He disciplines us, for that is not what this is about today. What is being illustrated here is that discipline will only be received by the child for so long. Once he or she is out of the house, advice is all that a parent can really offer, discipline is no longer effective. So as parents we need to take the responsibility of discipline to heart and do so while there is still time. If we stray from this path, I am afraid the end for discipline may come sooner than later. But if we are diligent in what He has called us to do, then that end will come later than sooner. However, in disciplining we must not set our eyes on the destruction of the child. In other words, we must make sure that the discipline fits the infraction. I know, in my own personal experience, that I have been carried away in my anger. But with the Lord's help, He is brining me to that balance in my life.