Getting a Good Spanking

I don’t know if it was normal for parents to “not spare the rod” on their children and at same time saying “I love you.” When I was a kid, after getting a good spanking or being locked in a room or locked out of the house, my parents would assure me over and over that they loved me. I thank my parents for this. At a young age, I already understood that discipline is an expression of love especially in a parent-child relationship.

My parents did love me so much that they will rather see me hurt for a short time rather than see me grow up in a future of misery because of the consequences of my wrong actions.

Today, God reminded me of such fatherly/parental love. In Proverbs 3:11-12 NASB, it says,

“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD
Or loathe His reproof,
For whom the LORD loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”

I still make mistakes. I am still a “bad” boy at times. But I thank God whenever I know I am being disciplined because it is thru this that I am assured that I am His child and that He loves me so much that He wants me to be better than I am today. Not that I am excited when the Lord disciplines me.

How does God do it? How does He discipline? Various ways I guess. I don’t know. But in my case now, God showed me how my actions affects my wellbeing. Sometimes I have to get sick and be in bed for a long time enough for me to stare at the ceiling and begin to look up to God again. That being said, it reminded me of this verse I read the other day:

“Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.”
~Proverbs 3:7-8 NIV