Recently, I was listening to a podcast on parenting toddlers. The speaker was focusing on the importance of discipline in the lives of children. She stated that as parents we should “look at each opportunity to discipline with joy.”
WITH JOY??? IS SHE CRAZY? Has she seen my 2 year old lay himself out on the floor and throw a fit when I won’t let him watch Veggie Tales? Has she seen him purposely dump out all of his toys on the living room floor just because I told him not to? Has she seen him scream and throw his head around when taken to get his hair cut?
After I was able to calm myself down from a total freak out/pity party, I realized the truth in those words. As crazy as it sounds, she is so right. If I change my perspective and approach discipline not with a frustrated-that-they-didn’t-obey-me-attitude but with a thankfulness-that-I-have-the-opportunity-to-correct-them-and-turn-their-hearts-toward-Jesus attitude, I will discipline with JOY. After all, discipline isn’t about making them obey me so that I look like a great mother, it is about showing them that we are all under an authority, God’s authority, and that we don’t always get what we want and we don’t always know what is best for us.
I am working on my perspective, and I am grateful that His mercies are new every morning when I totally blow it the day before.
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
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