Psalm 23:4
"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me."
[Emphasis added]
We all know by now that I am a spoiled [sweet!] daddy's girl and momma's baby. So, it is probably no surprise that I wasn't punished with spankings. But let's be clear, I was disciplined. What's the difference? I am not yet a parent [though I do have several "babies"], but what I've read and gleaned over the years through parenting experts, family, friends and the like is to classify the difference something like this. Discipline focuses on teaching better future decision-making habits while punishment focuses on retribution to make the child suffer. Translation, deterring negative behavior through encouraging self-control and responsible behavior vs deterring negative behavior through imposed negative consequences.
There are many [both Christians and unbelievers] that view God as an angry God that punishes. But just like in earthly parentage, there is a difference between God's Divine punishment and God's Divine discipline. We've discussed before how wrong thinking of God, i.e. only as the Old Testament punisher can hinder us from fully embracing His Love. Remember, when we think right, we act right. And thinking rightly about Father God reminds us of His character, the core of which is that He is Love; past, present, future and forevermore. What does a loving father do? Does he care? Provide? Instruct? Does he discipline? Absolutely! God administers discipline with the sole purpose of teaching and training for the believers' benefit. Our sinless God cannot be in the presence of sin or let injustice stand, but only He judges, sovereignly decides and administers righteous, just and Divine punishment upon the wicked, unrighteous and unrepentant at His appointed time. You see, if punishment is a result of God's justice. Then, discipline is a result of His love. The word discipline means “to teach” and “to train.” Boundaries teach us the secure areas in which we can freely operate. The purpose of God's discipline is not to punish us but to transform us from the inside out. The punishment [divine retribution] for our sins have already been borne by Jesus at the Cross and that Divine Exchange washes the Believer clean and free from the sin that formerly held them bound. As we are transformed what happens is that we begin to look more and more like Christ.
That 23rd Psalm we all know and love and can repeat in our sleep? Notice that His Rod comforts because it is not a punishing rod but a correcting rod. In ancient times the shepherd's rod conveyed the concept of authority, power, discipline and defense of the sheep. Conversely, while the shepherd's hooked staff guided and kept the sheep in line, the shepherd's rod not only disciplined but defended the sheep against attack from predators. Used together the sheep were comforted because they knew they were covered and protected by an authority greater than themselves. So, the rod and staff can be broadly categorized as tools of protection and guidance, respectively.
Again, the wonderful news for Christians is that while God disciplines us, His children, He won't ever again punish Believers for their sins, because He has already punished them at the Cross. The Lord Jesus, our Blessed Substitute, suffered the full penalty of all our guilt, hence it is written “The Blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 emphasis added). When God sees a Believer, He see a debt paid and a clean child. But how? Because of God's Grace. Grace DOES NOT mean we can or should act a fool. After all, we wear a robe of righteousness and that should be reflected in our behavior. And at the end of the day, there are consequences to our behavior. Don't mistake earthly consequences as God punishing you as a Christian. God is not punishing you if you overeat, overspend or engage in promiscuity. But the consequences of your actions might be an upset stomach or indigestion; an overdrawn bank account or damaged credit; or an unplanned pregnancy or STI. How or if He uses any earthly consequences to discipline is up to Him. The one thing to remember is God does not want us to frighteningly fear Him but to reverentially [in awe, respect] fear Him. Because in fearing God as His Word defines it, we are operating like Christ. When you rightly fear God, it straightens your spine to act like Jesus. This does not mean we are perfect or will get everything right, but it does mean that there are some things we just won't do without getting a check in our spirit from the Holy Spirit to pause, stop or repent back into alignment.
The parental discipline I received or observed served to do one thing: I knew not to do it in the first place or if I did do it, I quickly came clean and knew not to do it again! God's loving discipline is the same, except His is perfect and just. Real talk: Discipline doesn't feel great at the time and probably no one enjoys it [I certainly don't]. But am I thankful that sometimes that discipline was a "No" or a closed door to something that would have been harmful in the long run? You bet. On the other side of any discipline, God rightly gives to His children something for their good. I want you to experience all the Love God has for you and walk in the freedom Christ died to give you. So, dear Masterpiece, let God's rod and staff comfort you all the days of your life.
Takeaways for you to remember:
#1 Punishment reinforces with negative, while discipline reinforces with positive.
#2 God disciplines those that are His children.
#3 Godly discipline provides boundaries that allow us to freely soar.
Yours in Christ!
Dr. Quahana
Want to enjoy some of the Scriptures inspiring this entry?
[All Scripture listed is NLT version unless otherwise noted.]
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