WHY DO WE HATE DISCIPLINE ?????
The first time I heard of severe discipline, outside of the home and school was, to my shock, in a local convent where my friend was learning piano. The nuns were renowned for their expertise in teaching piano in particular “churning” out a huge amount of very thorough students including my friend. By contrast my Teacher employed more attractive measures in teaching, encouraging and coaxing, and rewarding me with inducements that persuaded me to continue my studies when at times I was flagging in interest.
The Nuns felt that severe discipline gave the students an abhorrence for “mistakes” avoiding the dreaded “ruler” that came crashing down on their knuckles if there was any violation in time or notes. Given my temperament and nature that kind of “discipline” would not have had a positive result (I hate to think what I may have said or done if treated in that negative way)
There are varying avenues of discipline … A variety of disciplines that God uses for our well being, direction and for seeing accomplishments come to pass, that He has planned.
PARENTAL DISCIPLINE … the first of all disciplines are those exerted by our parents, to contain, protect, guide and prepare us for the Future … we are disciplined for the well being of our selves, the continuing stability of the home and family. We are soon made aware of the fact that the home and other members of the family doesn’t revolve around any one person, but that for the well being of all, we all “fit in”, all “pull our weight” … all contribute for the overall pleasure and wholesomeness of the family unit. To really be a successful and positive disciplinarian one must give a child a reason for disciplines and boundaries, and an understanding why those boundaries exist.
So many people look back on those formative years as horrendous, the victims of a negative and frustrated parent venting their personal frustrations and often, unreasonable and not understood demands on a child, using negative phrases to goad and control and subject the child to submissiveness without incentive or understanding. That is victimisation and often counter productive.
GUARDIANSHIP DISCIPLINE (Teacher’s Discipline etc) … Many of us would have done “better” at school had we been disciplined with care and not made to feel we were of no consequence, being a lost “cause”, merely because we couldn’t at first comprehend a formula or principle, plain to some but at that moment, not to us. By contrast we can remember the teachers who gave us time, were patient exerting discipline and also a profound influence which would help give us patience to others in the future, whether our own children or others we are training or supervising (When Educational Disciplines are unfair, unbalanced and lacking “charity” it rouses within a spirit of rebellion and reactionary feelings toward both learning, and the Instructor or Teacher.
GOVERNMENTAL DISCIPLINES (Laws etc) … The Preservation of Society and its protection is governed by disciplinary rules called Laws, Romans 13;3-7. The Nation thrives on productivity, in stability, personal and National Security and international credibility … Freedom exercised and enjoyed is not anarchy, “Everyman doing that which is right in his own eyes”. A healthy Nation holds the welfare and security of its people as paramount. Laws are devised and enacted to provide that security. Threats to the safety of The Nation and its citizens personally should be strongly resisted and recompensed by stern, balanced Judgment.
CHURCH DISCIPLINES … The Church is to be “strong in The Lord, and in the power of His might” both as a result of its spiritual standing and its doctrinal, moral and ethical stance, and its commitment to those Godly, Biblical Principles, and again, where flagrant violations exist there must be godly discipline. When unheeded and disregarded expulsion has to take place.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL DISCIPLINES … Life’s circumstances often are God’s way of “getting our attention”. We often fall into a laxity of compromise and “ease” and a physical or even geophysical even (Psalm 46) can jolt us into the reality of our limitations and finiteness and need of God.
SELF DISCIPLINE … Is there any better discipline “under the Sun” than when we take ourselves in hand and set goals, and monitor ourselves in order to see those goals achieved by personal vision, personal commitment to that Vision, personal appraisal of your progress. This is personal discipline as Paul, the Apostle defines in 1Corinthians 9;24-27. We don’t need a harsh task master we need a soul governed by The Spirit of God who among other attributes of godliness will add to our life self control … self discipline (Galatians 5;23)
GOD’S DISCIPLINE … God disciplines as a Father, (Hebrews 12;5-11) That’s the key to remember … Father has a Plan … that we may reflect His nature and “behold His glory” … that we represent Him to our generation as a Testimony of His Love and of course His Message and Calling … sadly, in the “natural” we are not compatible by nature, that’s why Jesus talks about being Born Again, by the Spirit of God … Born firstly, a physical entry into this World, then born secondly, by a Spiritual transformation that is nothing short of miraculous, because it’s by His Spirit.
In our spiritual journey we tend, all too readily to rely on the familiar first birth nature, wandering all too easily from The Glorious Ideal … The unseen, but nonetheless real “Hand of God” which shape us, draws us, lovingly disciplines us, redirecting us to the narrow path of His glory. Hence the Writer of Hebrews cautions us “do not despise the chastening/disciplining” of The Lord of Love and Life.
So, we see discipline is not a “dirty word”, a path to despise and flee from. It was our Parents in Eden that threw off restraint and despised the Disciplinary Words of Caution and Life, by so doing entered a dark world where the ugliest of all vile false gods reside … The World of Self!
“Let us return to the Lord, Who will abundantly pardon” and “lead us to Glory … ”