A Loving Father's Discipline

 

by Barbara Latta

My dad was a quiet man and I only remember one time that he spanked me. I stuck my tongue out at my mother, and I was across his knee before I knew I had left the floor. I kept my tongue in my mouth for the rest of my growing years. Although it didn’t feel like it at the time, I experienced a loving father’s discipline.

My dad would come out of his shop, covered in sawdust and sweat, after working on another piece of wood he had created into a work of art. He had many hobbies over the years including scuba diving, leathercraft, and archery, but woodworking was his favorite.

Photography was another at the top of the list that he developed into a sideline business. He was busy week after week recording on film the memories of weddings, graduations, school functions, and sports. My brothers and I were among the subject matter for photo practice and our images filled up numerous photo albums.

I spent a lot of time with him in his darkroom watching the magic of glossy paper immersed in chemicals become a black and white photo.

My family didn’t break any records or set any historical landmarks. We were ordinary. Jesus’s family was ordinary, too. God chose to send His Son into an everyday family instead of a king’s palace.

Jesus displayed to the world the image of the only Father who is perfect. Our biological dad’s can love us so much they would give their lives for us, but they are still human and imperfect.

And some people grow up without the influence of a loving father figure. This can distort their view of what the heavenly Father is like.

Jesus spent three years with a group of men He chose so they could be molded into a spiritual image that could portray to the world the love of the Father.

And while God did love the world so much, He gave up His Son for the sins of mankind, love doesn’t mean there is no accountability for wrongdoing.

Love corrects and disciplines like my dad disciplined me.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)

But God corrects through His written Word or the words of anointed teachers; not by condemnation or raining some tragedy or illness on us. Those events are not from heaven but from the enemy who seeks to destroy us (John 10:10).

The Word’s correction may seem harsh, but it isn’t. Discipline is needed because of fleshly weaknesses. We don’t like for our flesh to be corrected. Giving up what our emotions want to do doesn’t feel good. The Father corrects us because He loves us.

Jesus was the image of the Father (John 14:9). He did what His Father told Him to do and said what the Father told Him to say. He disciplined His flesh to obey the Father’s will.

It didn’t feel good to go to the cross, but Christ submitted because to do so gave us the right to be born again as children of God. He saw the joy that was set before Him which gave Him the strength to endure the cross (Hebrews 12:2).

Jesus had an earthly dad as the Son of Man and a heavenly Father as the Son of God. When we believe on the Son we are born as children of God into His family and the heavenly Father becomes ours.

If we view correction as love instead of punishment, we can look ahead to the joy that is set before us. Submitting to His will sets us free from the prison of harmful emotions and the lies of the devil.

The truth (of the Word) sets us free (John 8:32).

Is the God of heaven your Father, too? If not, Father’s Day is a good time to be born as His child. Here’s how.

Happy Father's Day!

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TWEETABLES

God corrects through His written Word or the words of anointed teachers; not by condemnation or raining some tragedy or illness on us.Those events are not from heaven but from the enemy who seeks to destroy us (John 10:10) (click to tweet)

If we view correction as love instead of punishment, we can look ahead to the joy that is set before us. Submitting to His will sets us free from the prison of harmful emotions and the lies of the devil (click to tweet)