Mr. C's Blog

“Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.”

Proverbs 19:18 

The Bible speaks of real danger when we do not effectively discipline our children. One of the more tragic stories regarding this is found in the book of 1 Samuel. God speaks to Samuel and tells him of the judgment that is coming to the house of Eli the priest and his sons. Look at what the Bible tells us about Eli and his sons and their judgment.

“Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:12

Indictment number one against the sons of Eli was that they were corrupt and did not know the Lord. Remember they were the preacher’s kids. That is only the beginning.

“In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” 1 Samuel 3:12-14 

In this last passage, it becomes clear that Eli knows of the sins of his sons and the Bible says that he does nothing to restrain or discipline them. Then, you read the tragic statement made in verse 14 that Eli’s sons will die in their sins without the hope of forgiveness and separated forever from God.

We all have great hopes and dreams for our children. The advice of Proverbs 19:18 should ring in our ears. We need to discipline while there is hope and not to let our children go unrestrained as Eli did to the point of their destruction.

What does this look like practically? It means you start the process early in their lives. Win the battle of discipline while they are young. I have witnessed so many parents of preschoolers over the years allowing their children to go unrestrained. I can guarantee you that if you do not win the battle at age three you will never win it when they are age thirteen.

Make your mind up to set Godly parameters today with your children and enforce those parameters with discipline to instill in your kids respect for authority, obedience, and discernment. Failing to do so could, as Proverbs 19:18 says, “ruin their lives.”

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11

There just seems to be a lot of things in life that are necessary for us but at the same time are not very enjoyable. For me, I have never liked going to the dentist. I know it is necessary for good teeth health, but I would rather do just about anything than go to the dentist.

One of the areas that most parents do not enjoy is that of discipline. Why is it necessary? Are there Biblical goals for doing this unpleasant but necessary thing? If so, what should be the Biblical goals for discipline? Let’s address these issues with Scripture.

Hebrews 12:11 is a promise from God that even though disciplining is not fun, it will produce clear Biblical direction for our children that will benefit them forever. From my experience, I never have enjoyed disciplining my children as Paul describes in this verse. It was never a joyous occasion. However, if you understand what this verse says you will readily see it as not only necessary but fruitful. Paul says that it will yield the “peaceable fruit of righteousness.”

Wait a minute! Is that not what we as Christian parents want for our kids? Our goal should be to raise Godly, righteous children. Mr. Calloway, are you saying that discipline is essential to accomplishing this goal. No, I am not saying that, God is! The purpose of discipline is spelled out in Hebrews 12:11 and that is to help us raise Godly, righteous children.

Following a Biblical model for discipline will also produce wisdom, discernment, and direction in the lives of our children. Hebrews 5:14 tells us that “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” In other words, one of the goals we should desire for our children is that they would be good and Godly decision makers. One cannot distinguish between right and wrong without the guidance that discipline brings.

You need look no further than our world today to see a generation of people who clearly do not know the difference between right and wrong. Deuteronomy 12:8 defines this generation when it says that “every man was doing whatever is right in his own eyes.” Biblical discipline in the lives of our children will help to instill that level of wisdom, discernment, and direction in their lives.

As you can see, discipline is not just something we do out of anger or frustration. Discipline has a clear purpose and that purpose is to produce righteousness in our children. In coming articles, I will address the dangers of not disciplining and provide practical and Biblical guidelines for disciplining.

I pray that these truths from God’s Word will help us all understand why we need to discipline our children even though it is something no one enjoys doing!

“Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped.” Charles Stanley

We all have periods in our lives when we doubt something or someone. During these times, life can become hard and endless worrying can become our constant companion.  Webster defines doubt as “to call into question the truth of” something.

I remember in my early twenties wondering if God really had someone for me to marry and spend my life with. It appeared every relationship that I entered at that time just could not materialize. I reached a point where I was filled with doubt about that part of my future.

I will never forget during that period God gave me a verse from Psalm 94:19 that spoke to my need. That verse declares: “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” As I read that verse, God reminded me that all I ever really needed to do was to trust Him with every aspect of my life. It was not long after that I met the woman who would become my wife. I have learned over the years that there is no room for doubt when we place our trust in Him.

God has promised in His Word that “He will never leave us or forsake us.” He also promised us in Philippians 4:19 that He will: “supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” 

I love the words of a song entitled “More Than Enough” written and performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. The words of the song point us back to who we can trust when doubt enters our lives.

Jehovah Jireh, my provider 
You are more than enough for me. 
Jehovah Rapha, You're my healer, 
by Your stripes, I've been set free. 

Jehovah Shamma, You are with me, 
You supply all my needs; 

You're more than enough, 
more than enough, 
more than enough for me.  

I pray that these precious truths will bless you today and remind us all that there is no room for doubt when we place our trust in God!

 “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” 1 Timothy 6:6

I was intrigued by the movie a few years back entitled “National Treasure.” The plot of the movie revolved around finding a treasure hidden by our Founding Fathers. The idea of gaining wealth quick or finding a lost treasure has preoccupied many a person over the years. If you stop and look at television commercials or internet ads, it does not take long to see all the get rich quick schemes out there.

Even winning the lottery does not guarantee happiness or contentment. Research tells us that over 70% of the people who win the lottery go through the earnings within 5 years and experience numerous difficulties because of winning.

God has a much different and better way of defining what it means to be truly wealthy. Paul gives the formula in 1 Timothy 6:6 for what great wealth looks like. He tells us that achieving great wealth is in living a Godly life which will result in contentment. Webster defines contentment as “freedom from worry or restlessness: peaceful satisfaction.”

There is no price you can put on finding peace and satisfaction and not living a life of worry. To further illustrate this truth, I want to share with you three other verses that I pray will bless you.

First, Proverbs 11:6 tells us: “The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.” Godliness will rescue us from having to constantly pursue the endless trap of having to keep up with the ambitions of this world. Having more stuff has never made anyone permanently happy. Besides, all the stuff we pursue on this earth will not translate into the world to come. Your children will be better off if you focus on spending time with them and discipling them rather than chasing ambition.

As well, Proverbs 16:8 says: “Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.” Godliness will secure your peace and not have you constantly fretting over some little way in which we might cut corners and not be totally honest. 

Finally, Proverbs 14:34 tells us: “Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Godliness is the way to true greatness.

I pray that these passages will be a blessing to you and help us all to understand what real wealth looks like and how to achieve it!

The world has a way of convincing us that our kids need success as the world defines it. The world lures us to believe that it is not only crucial for our kids to have success in sports, career, arts, and earn lots of money but also that it will guarantee happiness. If we are not careful, it can become a major focus for us as parents.

It is easy for people to become determined for their children to be well known and admired. In fact, we could become driven to ensure that our children be someone the rest of the world envies. If you do not believe me, just look at what is on television.  We live in a world where the goal is to be the next American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, Master Chef, or you name it.  There is a huge push to get our children recognized above others as being someone special.

Now, do not get me wrong here and think that I am opposed to our children ever being recognized. I think that they need to be honored for their achievements and hard work. However, I am concerned that this whole idea has gotten way out of hand and become an obsession in this country. I am afraid that we have placed the accomplishing of certain feats way above that of more important goals like their spiritual development.

For followers of Christ, Jesus never intended for this life to be about us anyway. Paul told us in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

As followers of Christ, we are not called to be a “somebody”. Instead, we are called to be a “nobody” for His sake. With that in mind, why would we direct our children to live differently?

In Philippians 3:14, Paul tells us: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." As followers of Christ, our goals should be different for ourselves and our children. Paul is reminding us that our goals should not be focused on the things of this world but instead on the world to come.

I was asked not too long ago what I wanted for my children to look like spiritually when they grow up. First, I want them to own their faith. That is, to have a deep and personal relationship with Jesus that is truly theirs. I want it to be their relationship with Christ and not mine or their mother’s or anyone else’s for that matter. 

Finally, I desired for my children to develop and live by a Biblical worldview or, in other words, to make the decisions of everyday life using God’s Word as their standard. Our children cannot live for God if they do not know the truth of God. A Biblical worldview will teach them that we are not supposed to ascribe to be “somebody”. Instead, we are to allow God to live through us so that we can truly find His purpose for our lives!