Debunking Discipline

I was watching Bruce Almighty this weekend, and I was thinking about his whole perception of God at the beginning of the movie. “God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, but he'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm.”

I got to thinking that a lot of people believe that. A lot of people feel like ‘if God loved me, He should:

1. Give me everything I want
2. Not correct/discipline me.’

But we were talking about parenthood in church yesterday, and the pastor made a great point: is that how we treat our own children? Do we give them EVERYthing they want? Do we avoid correcting them or disciplining them?

No. So, I guess we don’t love our own kids because we correct them, discipline them, and choose what they should and should not have.

I think some important verses to debunk this way of thinking are the following:

Prov. 3:11-12: "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

Prov. 13:24: "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."

John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

So, what does God do … if He loves us?

He gives us prayer to communicate with Him, scripture to guide us, the Holy Spirit to obey Him (because we can’t do it on our own), and a family of believers to encourage, train, and come along side us. And He disciplines us.

He doesn’t discipline us to demean us, to be harsh, or to be unloving. That is not what Godly discipline looks like. It is meant to sting – not scar. The goal of Godly discipline is this: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness (emphasis mine). 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” (Hebrews 12:7-11).