Saturday 23 July 2011

THE DISCIPLINE FACTOR IN LOVE

Live and Learn by Thomas Hukahu

The National 20 July 2011 P. 52

True love is the foundation on which all good families, societies and nations stand. Qualities like faithfulness, loyalty and truth are found in it.

That is what we want in life for ourselves, our children and country. Agape, God’s love, it is the love of all loves. Other loves are the “give and take” types.

You give me goodness then I must reciprocate that goodness. But the problem starts when one party does all the giving and is tired.

That is where the complaints about rights and other arguments set in. With Agape, the love flows regardless of the type of response from the recipient.

Agape is the hope for us in the dark where men are fearful to reach out and assist. Where men fail, agape never does. It is forever eternal.

This week’s item is more for parents. If you are single, just imagine yourself to be a parent.

It is now common knowledge that the formative years in a child’s development is from birth to the age of five.What is done then has a lot of bearing on the child’s future growth

What they learn before they go to school is crucial. If true love is not given, the child’s growth and education can be jeopardized. To really love a child, one must discipline.

1 Corinthians 33:6 states that love does not rejoice in iniquity. When wrong is done, a child must be corrected. Withholding correction does not help the child.

The American educator and psychologist Dr James Dobson wrote the best seller Love must be Tough. The title tells us that the wrong kind of love is the soft type, One that does not foster ability to “endure all things”.

Love with good discipline makes great men and women. The child in your care is a potential great man or woman. But that all depends on you the parent.

Teachers in school often only guide and groom the greatness you instill in the child at home. Home is where love and good discipline must be present. And that is the bottom line of good parenting.

Multi-national companies, professional footballers and special forces in the army are all looking for disciplined people not just skilful people.

I must make it clear that disciplining is not abusing. Parents must discipline their children with care and love, not abuse them with bad words and uncontrolled beatings.


Next week: What is a proper marriage?


Comment: Discipline means many things. It means that a child and family learn to withstand hardship and disappointment. A child learns the discipline of doing chores without constantly being reminded. A child learns to turn the other cheek when being bullied.

A family shares out food when there is little food on the table. A child tells the truth regardless of the punishment to come. A child completes assignments for school on time.

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