There is a viral video of generational responses to being accidentally bumped while entering a store. The video is telling and (I think) scary! The 60-year-old gives the offender a bit of a scowl and moves on. The 30-year-old looks around for help. The 18-year-old cries, "He hurt me!" It is interesting how people respond to difficulty, struggle and adversity when they have been sheltered from all negative things. I wonder if the greatest "sins" in our current society are words/actions that hurt someone's feelings and fail to affirm them. What does the Bible say?
Hebrews 12:5b-6 says, "Do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves and He chastens everyone He calls a son." The entirety of the passage connects discipline, fatherhood and sonship/daughtership as part of a holy and good dynamic. In fact, it says that if God (the Father) does not discipline you, then you are not connected to Him ... you are not true sons/daughters.
In our world today, we can continue to follow the world's way of allowing undisciplined, poorly-informed and self-focused children to run our homes and their lives. The Bible not only calls this a recipe for disaster ... it actually created a disconnection between children and parents. The Bible offers a different way. For in discipline (both criticism and training) we do the heavy lifting of relationship-building that proclaims ... 1) we care how you are doing and what you are doing, 2) we want to tell and show you the right way (Proverbs 22:6 "train up a child") and , 3) we want a growing relationship with you that lasts all of our lifetimes.
I will leave this blog with a question ... "Why do you think structured teachers/leaders (even drill sergeants) are loved and respected by their students?" Hebrews 12 has that answer too! Randy
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