"This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you"

Gibson (age 4) and I were doing his "homework" the other night. This was the fun kind of homework! We had little cards with words of common household items (door, window, table, etc.) on them. I would put tape on the back and help him sound out the word, then he would go and lable the items around the house. I was enjoying this simple activity and he was too. During our "homework" we were just chit chatting, a maybe it was mother's intuition that made me ask THE question. "Have you had to go to timeout, Gibson?"...his answer was "no", and that didnt surprise me. He is ussually a pretty well behaved child--very compliant (his sister is a totally different story..but back to this one). As we continued to talk, he accidentally spilled the beans...he HAD been to timeout!! WHAT??..MY GIBSON IN TIMEOUT??!! NO!!........yes, and for, get this, FIGHTING on the playground!!

Now, on the inside i was very upset. Not only had he gotten in trouble at school, but he had also lied to me about it!! It was difficult, but i kept my compossure and never even indicated by the tone of my voice that i was very upset with him. I was acctually very proud of myself...i simply talked to him about lying and how it's not the right thing to do and told him calmly what his punishment would be. He actually took the revelation that he was about to get a spanking very well too.

Too many times i dont discipline this way. Too often it's out of frustration or out of anger. Im so glad that God is the perfect parent and that He always disciplines me out of love and with wisdom. He knows what's best for me and He wants to see me grow into the image that He has planned for me. Hebrews 12:6-7 says, "because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?"


Thank you Lord for loving me enough to keep me on Your potter's wheel. Thank you for not giving up on me even though I need a repeat of the lesson that You've already taught over and over. Help me to understand that discpline is an act of Your great love for me. Give me a heart to administer the same grace to others as you have show to me. Amen.