No Discipline No Favor

JESUS GREW IN WISDOM AND STATURE, AND IN FAVOR WITH GOD AND MEN. Luke 2.52.

Not so long ago, my wife and I were with our daughter, her husband and their three children for a few days. We always look forward to short holidays with them because they are the only members of the family who are away in a different town. It gives us the opportunity to talk to them, find out how they all are getting on and give some ‘parental advice’ to each member. We also take time to share our lives with even the grand children and encourage them by telling about God’s goodness to our family for more than four generations.

We are extremely glad and thankful to God that our son-in-law, a surgeon, apart from his professional work is also actively involved along with his family in the church where they worship. Because of such responsibilities, we always exhort him, our daughter and their children to live lives that are exemplary before the believers and their neighbours. Sometimes my son-in-law gets exhausted with his work and his spiritual commitments and feels like giving up the latter. We give our wise and mature counsel and tell that the Lord wants all to ‘seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. Jesus exhorted, ‘give to Caesar what is his and God what is His!’

Luke’s physician’s account of Jesus’ growth as a child always fascinates me. This is how he put it, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men”. As a medical doctor, I know well that stature as well as wisdom are from God alone. There is nothing one can do to increase these, except pray.

But parents, especially godly parents, have a great part in helping their children grow in ‘favour with men God and men. They can and should do it with great diligence. That’s how Jesus grew, even though he was only a child from a poor carpenter’s family in Galilee! Joseph and especially Mary, His mother, ‘kept many things about her son in her heart’ and acted wisely, the Gospels say. While honest Joseph groomed his young son to be the best carpenter in favour with the people, Mary His wise mother, disciplined Him at home spiritually, in favour with God.

The child Jesus “grew in favour with men’ too! Don’t miss the importance of what Luke didn’t forget to add! I am surprised and even shocked that today, many Christian parents do not care about this. The behaviour of some children is atrocious! Not only in their own house but even in stranger’s homes they are unruly, running around and pushing things, jumping on furniture and destroying everything in sight! Parents sit around and do nothing! Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (Prov 22.6).

Dear Christian parent, don’t miss your God-given opportunity now! Don’t listen to today’s shifting ideas the world dishes out, ignoring God’s eternal Word and regret it tomorrow! TRAIN UP YOUR CHILD THROUGH DISCIPLINING! There no other way with children, believe me, a grandfather with 4 children and 13 grandchildren, and a family physician too for more than half a century! Let them earn the favour of God and the people. If you are a Christian young person, receive discipline from your parents and from God Himself through His Word.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to grow in wisdom and stature and in favour of God and men. Help me to train and discipline my children, even with a rod if necessary, as the Bible teaches, to grow like the child Jesus. Amen.