Yesterday we looked at the most fundamental and foundational duty of children – obedience.

But what happens when they disobey? That’s when discipline may be appropriate. I’ve written before for parents about how not to discipline. Here now for kids are five ways to waste good discipline followed by five ways to benefit from it.

How to Waste Discipline

  • Refuse it: Fight against it, don’t take it, resist it, refuse to comply.
  • Resent it: ”I don’t deserve that…How dare she speak to me like that…treat me like that.”
  • Minimize it: ”Huh, call that a spanking? You think that fine hurts me? That’s just nothing.”
  • Despair under it: “What’s the point in even trying…I can’t do anything right.”
  • Retaliate against it: “I’ll get my own back. You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

How to Profit From Discipline

  • Expect it: “I’m a sinner and I’m going to err. I should therefore anticipate and even prepare for chastisement.”
  • Accept it: “I deserve this…and more. This is just and appropriate.”
  • Repent for it: “Lord God/Dad and Mom, I’ve done wrong, I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
  • Pray about it: “Lord help me to learn my lesson and use this discipline to produce good fruit in my life.”
  • Thank for it: “Dad and Mom, thank you for loving me enough to confront my sin and correct me through discipline when I don’t listen to your instruction.”

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).