When I was growing up, physical discipline was still allowed in schools. Believe me, it was terrifying. Much of our days were taken up with trying not to fall foul of many of the angry teachers my school was overloaded with, and who seemed to relish their violent reputations.
For me, discipline was associated with bad-tempered teachers who enjoyed whipping our tiny hands with their thick three-tongued belts. It did not make for happy school days or a good learning environment. That’s one of the reasons why I find it hard to view God’s discipline in a positive way. How can discipline be in any way helpful? Let’s see if Proverbs 3:11-12 helps us answer this.
Listen here.