 To establish a common ground for this article, discipline is defined as an
application of stimuli to the person, either on a naturally occurring basis,
or in a systematic application designed to affect the person’s actions. The
person receives this stimulation through any number of ways: All of their
senses, or any combination of senses. That stimulation can also come in a
cognitive form through the thought process.
A stimulus received through a naturally occurring event might be the
proverbial apple that fell on Sir Isaac Newton’s head. Within the context of
our earthly environment we are subject to the “Law” of gravity. Consequently
when the apple “goes up, it must come down”; even if it took several months
to grow so far up in the tree. When it matured, the stem disconnected from
the branch and the apple fell to earth and hit poor old Newton on the head.
So, in the most foundational sense, Newton was disciplined in the sense of
“learning” about something. We understand now about the rotation of the
earth on its axis and the centripetal force that tends to move everything to
the center of the earth through that movement; we call it gravity.
A systematic application of a stimulus could be something like a Teacher’s
lesson plan in a reading class. The teacher places the paragraph for reading
in front of the child, has the child read out loud, and then guides the
child with her voice of approval or disapproval on the correctness or
incorrectness of the pronunciation of the words in the paragraph. The
Teacher’s voice serves as a stimulus to give the child feedback for right or
wrong. Through the process the child learns not only how to pronounce the
word in that paragraph, but everywhere else that word appears in other
readings. Believe it or not, during this process the child was being
disciplined.
The Behavioral school of thought has outlined four different types of things
that can be done to a person for learning. Those four things include,
1. Giving the person something they really like;
2. Giving the person something they really do not like;
3. Take away from the person something they really like; and,
4. Take away from the person something they really do not like.
Now, other than the degree to which these four things can be applied, when
you think of it there really is not much else you can do to or for a person.
The stimulus being applied moves from extremely pleasant to the person all
the way to extremely painful or aversive to the person. Therefore, the
application of any of these four stimuli has some kind of effect on the
person.
The effects of those four things mentioned above include either an increase
of certain behaviors, or a decrease of certain behavior. Think of your own
behavior. If you do something and you receive what you consider a big reward
for it, you tend to keep repeating that same behavior hoping to get another
big reward. If you do something and you get a big slap in the face for it,
you tend to not do that so often anymore. The same thing happens when
something is taken away. If you do something and something you really like
(money for example) is taken away from you for it, then you tend not to do
that behavior again. If you do something and something you really hate (like
a migraine) is taken away from you for it, then the likelihood of repeating
that behavior is increased (like taking pain medicine). All of those forces
or stimulation is part of discipline, or learning.
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 Anyone who has taken a three-year-old into a grocery store
certainly understands the need for discipline. As we grow and mature
into adulthood we sometimes fail to recognize our own personal need
for discipline. The Bible, however, tells us that it is not only
needed, but it comes about because of love, with an aim to save us
from a calamity of pain.
King Solomon of old wrote through the inspiration from God in the
Proverbs an interesting insight about discipline. In Chapter 3
Solomon says,
“11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary
of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even
as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:11-12 KJV)
In a more modern translation the same verse may be more
understandable; a modern version reads thus:
"My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord, and do not
loathe his rebuke. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, just as
a father disciplines the son in whom he delights." (Proverbs
3:11-12)
When we are “chastened” or "disciplined" by the LORD there is a note
of pain and suffering that comes with it. As we move away from His
leading and the love He gives us, our conscience sears our heart and
we feel the anxiety, emotion and pain associated with our rejecting
His nearness. When that suffering is being felt we may or may not
immediately associate it with God’s dealing with us. As we continue
down that path of resistance and rebellion we continue to feel the
tug, but it gets easier to ignore as time passes. As our spirit
disengages from God’s Spirit we may recognize our gradual movement
away from His love and mercy, but fail to recognize that it is we
who are moving away, while He remains stable.
God will start to provide corrective actions in our lives. Even
though we hate the correction, if we continue to feel the pain there
remains hope for us to return to Him. The Bible says that God is not
willing that any of us should perish, but that we should all come
back to Him. Even if we get tired of His correction in our
rejection, He will continue to send those corrective measures; He
will never give up.
There is a parallelism in this passage that has both a father loving
his son enough to provide correction, and God as our Heavenly Father
loving us so much that He too will provide correction when we are in
need of it.
So our being chastened may be painful at the time we are in
rebellion, but when we turn again to face the LORD and refrain from
doing evil returning our trust and faith in Him, He welcomes us back
with open arms, puts a ring on our finger, a robe on our shoulders
and rejoices in our returning home where He accepts us as His child.
[By JIM KILLEBREW]
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