Punishment

This is one of my least favorite parts of parenting. I do not like punishing my children. It is however, a necessary ingredient to the recipe for raising a good kid. I believe that possible impending punishment is a motivator to help me do the right thing even if it’s for the wrong reason. I want to live right. I want to treat others right. I want to honor God by loving others. Some people are really hard to love, but the Lord tells me to love them anyway.

As I read the Word, I also see that the Lord is not afraid of punishment. He doesn’t always give me what I deserve (which would be really bad), but He gives me what I need. Sometimes he doesn’t punish me at all, He gives me an “all expenses paid vacation” to bless me – that is His amazing grace! In Isaiah he is about to pour out punishment on Babylon and He speaks this through the prophet. Check this out…

4 Listen, a noise on the mountains,

    like that of a great multitude!

Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms,

    like nations massing together!

The Lord Almighty is mustering

    an army for war.

5 They come from faraway lands,

    from the ends of the heavens –

the Lord and the weapons of his wrath –

    to destroy the whole country.

6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;

    it will come like destruction from the Almighty.[a]

7 Because of this, all hands will go limp,

    every heart will melt with fear.

8 Terror will seize them,

    pain and anguish will grip them;

    they will writhe like a woman in labour.

They will look aghast at each other,

    their faces aflame.

9 See, the day of the Lord is coming

    – a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger –

to make the land desolate

    and destroy the sinners within it. (Isaiah 13:4-9 NIV)

 

As a kid I hated punishment. As a parent I hate punishment. It is an important part of behavior modification. I am really trying hard to discipline my heart before the Lord so that He doesn’t need to discipline my behavior. I want the same for my children. I want them to seek a heart after God and their behavior will follow their heart. I believe this is exactly what the Lord wants. I think He hates punishment too.

Pressing On!

Dwayne