A Dusty Little Stick
To discipline children requires that you have it to give.
"Don't make me angry!"
Are you preemptive or reactive?
Do you let things go too far until you are emotional, shouting and out of control?
You are only teaching them to be like that.
Do you discipline for simply messing up, judging the results and not loving the heart trying to please?
Do you reserve forceful discipline for rebellion of heart? "NO!"
Do you explode on them suddenly with a surprise, bringing them to live in constant fear and uncertainty of you and themselves?
Or do you quietly ask them if the are in need of a bottoms up education, giving them a chance to change direction?
Do you follow through or are you teaching your children that your words are not to be believed, or not to be believe until you are out of control.
Are you humble and confess when you are wrong to your children setting the example and relent on your decisions or seek to repay what is right many times over?
Do you promise something good in return for a specific task and then later betray their trust by taking it back even after they have done what was asked out of a good faith heart in you? Does not matter what else happened, is your word something they can trust or do you become a liar to them?
I pray God give me wisdom to provide for what the heart of this child needs.
Give me the discipline so I have it to share.
If you are out of control, best to let go of discipline for what they may have done and focus on being an example of discipline first. Go get some for yourself from your Father God before you end up doing damage you can not easily repair.
Do you discipline to get selfish compliance or do you do it to cultivate a heart in your child?
Their once was a tiny stick, carefully picked out.
perhaps 2mm thick. Tested on the most sensitive parts of oneself.
Pick out so as to break before causing any real harm.
It was used early and established the standard of what is right.
It came down perhaps a handful of times, each time it did it was used.
It was always followed by a hug and some time in my arms.
Even before all the words where mastered, just a glance stickward would bring about an immediate response.
It always came after a talk about what and why and how God says it should be.
Eventually it sat above the door gathering dust.
A reminder of loving authority, to a heart that was on the right path.
To discipline children requires that you have it to give.
"Don't make me angry!"
Are you preemptive or reactive?
Do you let things go too far until you are emotional, shouting and out of control?
You are only teaching them to be like that.
Do you discipline for simply messing up, judging the results and not loving the heart trying to please?
Do you reserve forceful discipline for rebellion of heart? "NO!"
Do you explode on them suddenly with a surprise, bringing them to live in constant fear and uncertainty of you and themselves?
Or do you quietly ask them if the are in need of a bottoms up education, giving them a chance to change direction?
Do you follow through or are you teaching your children that your words are not to be believed, or not to be believe until you are out of control.
Are you humble and confess when you are wrong to your children setting the example and relent on your decisions or seek to repay what is right many times over?
Do you promise something good in return for a specific task and then later betray their trust by taking it back even after they have done what was asked out of a good faith heart in you? Does not matter what else happened, is your word something they can trust or do you become a liar to them?
I pray God give me wisdom to provide for what the heart of this child needs.
Give me the discipline so I have it to share.
If you are out of control, best to let go of discipline for what they may have done and focus on being an example of discipline first. Go get some for yourself from your Father God before you end up doing damage you can not easily repair.
Do you discipline to get selfish compliance or do you do it to cultivate a heart in your child?
Their once was a tiny stick, carefully picked out.
perhaps 2mm thick. Tested on the most sensitive parts of oneself.
Pick out so as to break before causing any real harm.
It was used early and established the standard of what is right.
It came down perhaps a handful of times, each time it did it was used.
It was always followed by a hug and some time in my arms.
Even before all the words where mastered, just a glance stickward would bring about an immediate response.
It always came after a talk about what and why and how God says it should be.
Eventually it sat above the door gathering dust.
A reminder of loving authority, to a heart that was on the right path.