To Make It Better

To Make It Better

You love your children. When they fall down and get an owie, you want to kiss it and make it better. But you can’t always protect them from the hurts of life. And because you love them, sometimes you shouldn’t.

If your six-year-old carelessly breaks a favorite toy, don’t run right out and get a new one. If your teenagers don’t put their laundry in the hamper, they’ll wear dirty clothes to school. By giving them a measure of freedom, you’ll encourage them to take ownership for their behavior.

You should love them, talk, and share life with them far more than you discipline them. You’ll need to choose your battles. You should hear their concerns as long as they’re respectful, but endless arguments are a waste of time.

By providing firm and gentle discipline, you’ll love them through their pain. Sometimes that’s the best way to make it better.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. —Hebrews 12:11