Our society no longer values discipline. "If it feels good, do it." Many children rule the roost in their homes. Homes and marriages are a mess. We are suffering the consequences of the 60s when the younger generation decided to rebel against their parents' ways and forge a "new" path. Forget saving sex until marriage. Forget having mothers at home raising their children. If they want a career, they can simply leave their children in the care of others, pick up fast food on their way home, and demand that their husband help with the home and children. Our jails are overflowing with criminals. Policemen are being shot for no reason. Public schools and universities aren't safe places to be anymore. What is the answer?
Discipline is the answer. From the moment your child begins to crawl, begin training and disciplining them. Teach them right from wrong. Teach them to obey you the first time you tell them something. Teach them kindness, generosity, responsibility by keeping their rooms tidy and picking up after themselves, and teach them to respect authority. Plant God's Word deep into their hearts by speaking about Him often and reading His Word to them daily.
Model discipline to your children. Keep your home neat and tidy. Show respect towards your husband and allow him to lead. Don't waste your time on the television, Internet and iPhone, if your home is in disarray. Play with your children. Teach them to work along beside you. Be careful what books, magazines and television shows that you watch and read. Go to bed at a reasonable time and wake up, ready to serve your family. Don't overeat. Eat food that nourishes your body. Spend daily time in God's Word. Help those in need. As one woman so aptly stated, "There is so much more work in the home other than housekeeping. In fact, before women were encouraged to leave the home there was no need for at risk teen programs, after school tutoring programs, etc. The home was the backbone of society. It was where children were taught how to function in society. When women left the home our country fell apart."
"Oh, but I'm so undisciplined and can't do all those things you say." No, you can't by yourself but you can in Christ. He is the One who strengthens you and gives you the strength to walk in obedience to Him. The tree you see in the picture is our guava tree. We planted it 17 years ago, shortly after we moved into this home. It has produced a little bit of fruit each year. This year has been a bumper crop. The guavas are the size of large oranges; delicious and abundant. This should happen to your children also. As they live with you and you're training and disciplining them, you should see a little bit of fruit being produced. When they are 17 or 18 and their roots have grown deep into the soil of God's Word and they have been disciplined properly, they should produce bumper crops of fruit; ready to go out into the world and be salt and light.
When a home is a disciplined home, there is joy. Discipline brings joy and lack of discipline brings sorrow. Raise your children in a disciplined home and make sure you are joyful in the process so they can see that living for Jesus is the BEST thing in the world!
But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.
1 Timothy 4:7
