The world we live in today has adopted an attitude towards authority that is marked with distrust, distain, and dysfunction. The values of individualism and moral relativism have led the charge on the attack of God’s authority. If we are to help our children understand the “fear of the Lord” it begins by modeling for them a proper balance in our approach to authority.
Observations & Conclusions:
Characteristics of Discipline – Hebrews 12:7:11
- Affliction – The Father disciplines out of love
- Possession – The Father disciplines those who belong to Him
- Obligation – The Father disciplines positionally
- Transformation – The Father disciplines towards “good”
- Association – The Father disciplines to share His identity
- Production – The Father disciplines us to grow
Characteristics of Affirmation – Matthew 3:16-17
- Identification – The Father shows up
- Presentation – The Father made His presence felt
- Declaration – The Father made His presence known
- Appropriation – The Father identified Himself in connection with His Son
- Admiration – The Father showed love for His Son
- Satisfaction – The Father praised His Son
Application:
Model the molding of your child’s attitude towards authority with God’s balance of both discipline and affirmation.
Proverbs 13:24
“Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”
1 Peter 1:6-7
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
1 Corinthians 11:28-32
“Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”