WF Pride

Discipline and Accountability

Chad Cottingham

My four children are all very different.  They have different talents, abilities and personalities – I wouldn’t want it any other way.  My third child, Cameron, loves the outdoors. He loves to hunt and fish, ride his four-wheeler, blow things up, and just be a regular boy (or should I say young man – he’s 17).  He’s a great kid.  But Cam came with more challenges than his siblings.  What I mean is he needed a lot more discipline than the other three.  We probably had to discipline him more times than the other three combined.   My wife was worried that when Cam started school the teacher would ask him to count to 10, and he would say, “One, two, wooden-spoon three!”  because of how many times he heard that line, and received a wooden-spoon spanking!

Cameron didn’t always respond well to discipline either.  He would get angry, upset, and want to challenge us. But my wife and I stuck to our guns. We continued to discipline and correct him in love and he’s turning out to be a great young man – now don’t get me wrong, he’s still a teenager and has a ways to go, but he’s come a long way.

Cam is not an exception as no one really likes discipline.  Whether we are receiving discipline or giving discipline, it’s not fun no matter what side you’re on.  However, we all need it at some time or another in our lives.  Discipline, whether you’re a child, a parent, an employee, a spouse, etc… is meant to hold us accountable for our actions and helps us reach our full potential.  It helps train and teach us – even when we don’t want it or think we deserve it.  The bible says in Hebrews 12:11 ‘No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it is painful!  But afterwards there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way’ – NLT.

Challenge: Think about the last time you were disciplined- either at work, at home, as a child.  How did you accept the discipline when it happened?  Did you accept it and learn from it?  Did you have self-pity thinking you didn’t deserve it?   Were you angry and resentful?   Would you respond differently if you had to do it over again?  How?

“Dear Lord, give me strength to discipline my children even when it’s difficult.  Help me to swallow my pride when I am receiving discipline, knowing it is for my good.  Help us to be disciplined people in all we do, Amen”