Punishment & Discipline

I was recently told that there is a difference between discipline and punishment. When I first heard this statement I thought maybe this was simply “splitting hairs”. Punishment is defined as the “penalty as retribution for an offense”. Discipline, on the other hand is defined as “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience”. There is a difference. When it comes to parenting, I’ve always wanted to discipline my kids NOT just punish them. I believe that is what the Lord is trying to do with His people through Jeremiah the prophet. Check this out….

14 Jeremiah then returned from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the court of the Lord’s temple and said to all the people, 15 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on this city and all the villages around it every disaster I pronounced against them, because they were stiff-necked and would not listen to my words.’” (Jeremiah 19:14-15 NIV)

I really don’t like to do the punishment part of discipline, but it is imperative that the boundaries of behavior are clearly defined. Some of the things that I was disciplined for as a child are no big deal today. For example, we couldn’t have chewing gum or bubble gum at school. We didn’t think much about bringing weapons to school. Our culture has changed a good bit and the art and act of discipline has changed too. I believe discipline is an important part of our culture.

It takes discipline to be a good friend.

It takes discipline to be a good student.

It takes discipline to be a good spouse.

It takes discipline to be a good parent.

It takes discipline to be a good employer.

It takes discipline to be a good employee.

It takes discipline to be a good person – period.

I want to follow the Lord and be disciplined in my relationship with the Lord and with everyone else I know.

Pressing On!

Dwayne