Ephesians 4:6

I have been thinking allot about Ephesians 6:4 lately.

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NKJV

Specifically how it relates to discipline. Discipline, in my opinion, in order to be effective should evoke a strong emotion. If a child enjoys sitting in the corner then that may not be the best consequence for back talking. If a child likes eating mustard from the bottle then a teaspoon of it is not much deterrence for bad language.

So, how do I as a father be an effective disciplinarian while not provoking anger?

First, I will say this; I know where the debate in my head comes from. I hate disciplining my children. It rips my heart out every time. I know, however, that it is necessary.

…bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4b

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 NIV

Because I dislike disciplining my children I am a prime target for the enemy to plant seeds to keep me from doing it. While in the moment of discipline I hear the voices of the past that questioned my qualifications to be a parent. I also hear this verse with the following commentary, "look how angry Noah(or Kaara) is. I thought you weren’t supposed to provoke him (her) to anger. I guess you are a bad parent." My temptation is not to discipline.

Something I noticed when I was involved with student ministries and driving school bus is that there were many kids who were angry. I look around our society and this is not limited to just kids. Also, we are, in general, undisciplined as a society.

I can’t even communicate how much I love my children. Because of that love I will continue to discipline. I will also not cultivate a lifestyle of anger. After the discipline is over we work it out.

"In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV

I do not pretend to have this all figured out. I just hope that God will give me the wisdom to raise my children in the way He would have them raised.