October 17, 2011

Partners in Parenting

A Good Kind of Pain!

It is Monday, and my body hurts like crazy today.  I woke up yesterday sore too.  On Saturday, I played about an hour and a half of football and baseball with some young kids.  It was great fun, but my body reminded me on Sunday morning that I was not prepared ahead of time for that activity.  Then, Jen and I cleaned up our landscape plants that were a bit overgrown all Sunday afternoon.  Five hours of pulling, clipping, bagging, raking, hoeing, etc.  My body must not think too much of my intelligence.  After all, it (my body) already told me I had overexerted the day before.  Yes, I'm in some pain today, but yes, it was worth it.  Playing football and baseball was fun.  Looking at our landscape Sunday night was very rewarding.  As I felt the pain settling in before bed Sunday night, I thought about how pain isn't always a bad thing.  I could have skipped playing football and baseball, but I would have missed out on fun and building relationships.  I could have skipped working on the landscape, but it wouldn't look nice like it does now.  As a parent, I need to remember that disciplining my kids creates pain in their life - but it is a good kind of pain.  It is good because it helps mold their character so that, like playing football, positive relationships can be experienced.  It is good because it helps mold their character so that, like landscaping, a more beautiful thing results.  God disciplines us because He loves us, and we, as parents, need to discipline our kids because we love them. 

Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Family Discussion Points!

Share a few times when you overexerted yourself and were sore the next day.

Talk about the positive sides to experiencing pain.  (Pain is a great teacher, isn't it?)

Discuss the importance of discipline in life in various aspects (exercise, promptness, reliability, good choices, etc.)

Develop a discipline that you want to start as a family.  It may be painful to do, but it will be worth it.  (Family devotions, game night, outside walk once/week, etc.)