Discipline

I was babysitting again this morning. And as they usually do go hand-in-hand together, the Lord inspired me with another spiritual illustration to share. 

Anyone who has had children or worked with children understands that discipline is a necessity. It can't be avoided. No matter how perfect the child is, a situation will always arise sometime and you will have to do what you have to do. 

Today I had to discipline my favorite toddler girl. :( Yes, it broke my heart. Especially since I understood that having a new baby brother home now, she was still adjusting to the change of not being an only child and not receiving as much attention as she was used to. 

In response to my not allowing her to do something, she made an utter mess on the floor. And when I told her to pick up the mess, she ignored me. So I did what I sadly had to do. I had to pause her Curious George movie until she would obey and pick up her mess. 

To this toddler girl, no "George" is a big deal. A really big deal. There were lots of tears. Big alligator tears. And when, even being upset with me, she would still want to sit on my lap and I would cuddle her as she cried in protest of my discipline... I really wanted to give in then. Withholding from her what she wanted- her Curious George show- was definitely not something I enjoyed doing. It hurt to see her cry like that because of me and not be able to allow myself to stop her tears. 

She enjoys it when I babysit her. We have fun playing. And I feared that my first time having to discipline her would mar that fun impression she has of me. But I love her. I love her enough to risk her love for me in order to build her character. I admit, it would've been much easier to just pick up the mess myself and be done with it in a matter of ten seconds. But how would that build Eliana's character? What would that teach her?

Sometimes the Lord has to discipline us His children. I've been disciplined by Him before and it's not fun. Just as He withheld the gift of the Promised Land from a full generation of Israelites, sometimes in disciplining us, He has to withhold from us His blessings until we learn to trust Him, submit to His authority, and listen and obey Him. It's not something He enjoys doing. He doesn't take any pleasure or satisfaction in seeing our tears as we struggle against His will. He loves us. And that never changes. Even in our anger and frustration with Him sometimes, if we run into His arms rather than away from them, His arms are always still open to hold us. He's always still there to comfort us and reassure us that He still loves us. Nothing we do can change that. 

But He still must discipline us and sometimes His correction can drive His children away from Him. We can become bitter and in our free will, can choose to walk away from Him. And it happens sometimes to those who don't truly love Him as much as they claim to in the midst of His blessings. But God loves us too much to not discipline us. To not help us grow and build our characters.

He never leaves us to learn the lesson alone though. Being the sweetheart that she is, Eliana eventually agreed to pick up the mess and we cleaned it up together, making a game of it. I picked up one piece, then she picked up one piece, taking turns. And when all was cleaned up, I dried her tears, wiped her snotty nose, praised her for obeying, and... we finished watching her Curious George. It gave me the greatest pleasure to play that show again for her. And her love for me faded not a bit. I so love that little girl to pieces! <3

While God commands us to obey Him, He doesn't leave us to obey Him alone. In His love for us, He's always there, helping us and working behind-the-scenes. Because He wants to bless us. He wants to press that play button. But we need to learn to trust Him, to surrender, and to obey first or we won't be prepared and equipped for all that He has in store to bless our lives with.

"My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." 

-Proverbs 3:11&12