What is the purpose of discipline? - Discipline - TouchPoints

Deuteronomy 8:5“Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.”

Hebrews 12:7-8As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

The goal of discipline is to prevent us from harming ourselves and others, which in turn promotes healthy relationships. It is an act of love. Sin always damages our relationship with God and others because sin is selfish. God’s discipline is an act of love to keep us from damaging our most important relationships and to help us become the people he created us to be. Left to ourselves, we always tend to move away from God and toward sin. God’s discipline reminds us why a relationship with him is best. We should have the same motive when disciplining our children. Loving discipline is character building, but angry punishment can destroy a person’s sense of self-worth.

Psalm 94:12Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.

Effective discipline sets us on the right path, making us thankful to once again be going the right way. Discipline ultimately leads us to a life of joy.

Proverbs 12:1To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

Discipline is essential to developing skill, maturity, and character.

Proverbs 1:1-3These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

The biblical concept of discipline is summarized in the introduction to the book of Proverbs. As Solomon wrote Proverbs to disciple his people—to teach them how to live, act, and be just and fair—so God wrote his Word to disciple us in the way he wants us to live.