As a parent, there was one thing I always hated to have to do. I hated having to discipline my children. Believe me, we tried everything from time-outs to spankings. I remember when our three oldest were all in the back seat of the car and they had done something that deserved discipline, since I couldn’t reach them, I asked them to slap themselves on the mouth. (Yeah, I did.) That’s when my sons became really good actors. They acted like they had really popped themselves good. I knew they were faking. It was more amusing than punishment.
On another occasion, I remember one of my children asking me if I still loved them after I had disciplined them. That ripped my heart out. But I remember saying, “When you are good, I love you with a love that makes me glad. When you are not good, I love you with a love that makes me sad.”
The word of the day is discipline.
Proverbs 3:12 (NIV) because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
There will be times when the Lord disciplines us as His children. This is not because He is mad at us, but because he loves us.
Receive His correction and be better.