Love is Demonstrated Through Discipline

“This hurts me more than it hurts you.” How many of us have heard this statement from a parent or loved one? The truth is that discipline does not drive hurt, it demonstrates love.

“²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” – Proverbs 13:24 (ESV)

As parents, it is our duty to discipline our children and keep them on the “right” path as we see it. If we are not disciplining our children or we are failing them. Without discipline, we will not reach our full potential. We are wandering aimlessly expecting that “good” will just come or happen.

We are here to make sure that others are checking in with and diligent in their seeking of the path in store for them from God. That path has already been laid out for us and we are to be searching for it. That searching requires discipline to remain on the search and not give up. I am amazed when our boys indicated that they “can’t find” something in their room or other area and when I make my way to help, the location of the item is realized. I simply took the opportunity to move some things, look under other things, and exhaust the whole of the room whereas they simply peeked through the door expecting the item to jump into their hand. Truly searching and seeking requires work and that work requires discipline.

In our duty, we are to demonstrate love through disciplining others to stay the course, seek the path, and search. The ultimate path is the one that God laid out and in order to find it, you and I are going to have to keep looking. That path may be bright and shiny right now and things seem to be going well. There will also be times of ambiguity and it is in those times that we have to be disciplined.

Love is the way of Christ and discipline is the demonstration of that love.

Are you searching for the path? Are you, have you been disciplined in your search? Have others held you accountable, or are you holding others accountable to the search, driving to find again the path that God has in store? Do you realized the love demonstrated through that discipline?