{"id":11295,"date":"2015-08-11T13:25:55","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T20:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/?p=11295"},"modified":"2015-08-11T13:25:55","modified_gmt":"2015-08-11T20:25:55","slug":"ingredients-of-godly-discipline-part-1-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2015\/08\/11\/ingredients-of-godly-discipline-part-1-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ingredients of Godly Discipline, Part 1: Preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ingredients<\/p>\n

I hear crying coming from the family room, where my three and six-year-old children are playing. I\u2019m sitting in my chair, reading a book, and I don\u2019t really want to be interrupted. But I get up and go in.<\/p>\n

The struggling stops as I enter the room, and reddened, tear-streaked faces look up at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was pushing me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the tricycle first!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you hurt my foot!\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t enjoy unraveling these squabbles. I want a quick fix that will make everyone happy (or maybe a way to make everyone realize just how ridiculous they are being).<\/p>\n

But a quick fix isn\u2019t what my children need. God didn\u2019t make me a dad so I could hand out quick fixes.<\/p>\n

No, God just handed me another opportunity to teach my children. I can waste this moment or I can embrace it. My book and chair will still be there when I\u2019m done.<\/p>\n

As parents, we need to be ready and willing to devote our time and our full attention to disciplining our children at a moment\u2019s notice. This isn\u2019t easy. But with God\u2019s help, we can be prepared for teachable moments and engage with our children in a God-honoring way.<\/p>\n

Here are five reasons it\u2019s important for us to be prepared<\/span> to discipline:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Godly discipline doesn\u2019t come naturally<\/strong>. We\u2019re prone to react out of frustration, anger, or even apathy, when our children sin. If we don\u2019t prepare, and if we don\u2019t ask for the Holy Spirit to help us parent in a way that reflects God\u2019s character, we won\u2019t be able to approach discipline with the right spirit.<\/li>\n
  2. Our children are learning from our example<\/strong>, no matter how we react to their behavior. You’ve probably heard that \u201cmore is caught than taught\u201d. If I yell at my son for leaving a mess on the floor, he\u2019s learning that it\u2019s OK to yell at people who annoy you. But if I get down and offer to help him clean it up, he\u2019s learning how to love others. And if I apologize for yelling at him, he\u2019s learning how to repent of sin and make things right. (Praise God, who uses even our failures for good!)<\/li>\n
  3. Our children are weak<\/strong>, and like our heavenly Father, we need to take that weakness into consideration. \u201cAs a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.\u201d<\/em> (Ps. 103:13-14) Or, as Tedd Tripp says, \u201cYour objective in communication must be to understand your child, not simply to have your child understand you.\u201d My instruction will be more effective if I first take the time to truly understand my child and discover the real issues he is struggling with. This takes patience, gentleness, and a readiness to get down on their level and see life from their perspective.<\/li>\n
  4. We can inadvertently provoke our children<\/strong> \u2013 to anger, discouragement, and rebellion \u2013 through parenting that is neglectful, permissive, hypocritical, or harsh. Ephesians 6:4 says that, instead of provoking our children, we should \u201cbring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.\u201d Such discipline requires intentionality.<\/li>\n
  5. We are partners with God<\/strong> in the salvation and sanctification of our children. Only God can give our children true faith. Only He can change their hearts. But He uses us in this process.<\/em> The work God is doing through us is worthy of our time, effort, and self-examination, \u201cFor it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure\u201d <\/em>(Phil. 2:13).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So how can we be more prepared for those teachable moments?<\/strong><\/h3>\n