As parents, you can teach your child to receive correction from you
because it is the means God has appointed. The child learns to receive
correction, not because parents are always right, but because God says
the rod of correction imparts wisdom, and whoever heeds correction
shows prudence (Proverbs 15:5, 29:15).
The child who accepts these truths will learn to accept correction. I
have been humbled and amazed to see my children, in their late teens
and early twenties, accept correction, not because I brought it to them
in the best possible manner, but because they were persuaded that “He
who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds
correction gains understanding” (Proverbs 15:32). They understand
that their dad is God’s agent, used by God in the role of authority to
direct in God’s ways. Therefore, even though I am not a flawless
instrument of God’s work, they know that receiving correction will
bring them understanding.
Summary
(^) Discerning these issues can give you strength and courage as you do
the job to which God has called you. You are the authority over your
child, because God has called you to direct (Genesis 18:19). You
provide direction under God’s authority. Your right to be in charge is
derived from God’s authority. You need not be tentative or
overbearing. You are God’s agent to teach his ways to your child. You
are God’s agent to help your child understand himself as a creature in
God’s world. You are God’s agent to show the need for God’s grace
and forgiveness. You look to God to give you strength and wisdom for
your task.
Clear thinking about the function of discipline illustrates the
importance of seeing yourself as God’s agent, called by God to be in
charge.
Discipline: Corrective, Not Punitive