yacar
a) (Qal)
1) to chasten, admonish
2) to instruct
3) to discipline
b) (Niphal) to let oneself be chastened or corrected or admonished
c) (Piel)
1) to discipline, correct
2) to chasten, chastise
d) (Hiphil) to chasten
e) (Nithpael) to teach
AV — chastise 21 instruct 8, correct 7, taught 2, bound 1, punish 1, reformed 1, reproveth 1, sore1
paideia
2) whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, esp. by correcting mistakes and curbing passions.
a) instruction which aims at increasing virtue
b) chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)
AV — chastening 3, nurture 1, instruction 1, chastisement 1
paideuō
1) to train children
a) to be instructed or taught or learn
b) to cause one to learn
2) to chastise
a) to chastise or castigate with words, to correct
1) of those who are moulding the character of others by reproof and admonition
b) of God
1) to chasten by the affliction of evils and calamities
c) to chastise with blows, to scourge
1) of a father punishing his son
2) of a judge ordering one to be scourged
Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 13
AV — chasten 6, chastise 2, learn 2, teach 2, instruct 1
pais
1) a child, boy or girl
a) infants, children
2) servant, slave
a) an attendant, servant, spec. a king's attendant, minister
Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 24
AV — servant 10, child 7, son (Christ) 2, son 1, manservant 1, maid 1, maiden 1, young man 1
egkratēs
1) strong, robust
2) having power over, possessed of (a thing)
3) mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining
a) controlling one's self, temperate, continent
Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 1
So these are the original Hebrew and Greek words that the NIV translates "discipline". I realized as I searched through the results of my inquiry that I hold 2 distinct definitions of "discipline". The first one is "punishment" and the second is "self-control/training". I was astonished at the lack of references to the second. But then, as my book is reminding me, a life training for self-control was the norm - it wouldn't have even made sense to tell that culture to engage in spiritual disciplines. Jews' many rules and regulations, rituals, fasts, mandated celebrations, sacrifices, etc would not allow a devout Jew to be without a daily regimen designed to bring the physical body in line with its spiritual purposes.
And so, yet again, we learn a lesson from God's Chosen people. Today, we who are "free in Christ" exercise our "freedom" by allowing our bodies to get into such a state of disrepair that we are really free to do very little. Neither briskly walk a mile without huffing, nor resist the temptation to lie, nor converse with God throughout our daily activities. Instead, we view discipline as something we undertake for an hour, or a few days, a week, or just as long as we can stand it. But discipline doesn't work that way, does it? Training is a LIFESTYLE. It's a choice to continually (every day, all during the day, for as long as we live) make decisions about what to engage in and what to abstain from in order that as we become spiritual athletes, we are ready for "game time" - whenever it hits us. So long as we view training as a series of short-term commitments, we won't succeed. The Holy Spirit doesn't do His all-important work that way: at our prompting, in our time-frames, during our "free time". I need to stop telling the Lord what I'm willing to do, and start allowing Him to tell ME what's next!
Actually, I need to expand my understanding of what discipline for my children actually is, as well. How did it get so far from the whole truth? Punishment is part of it, but I should be disciplining them by showing them and imparting to them a total lifestyle of good spiritual training. Balanced with an equal amount of grace, of course. I began reading this book again, in tandem with the Willard one, and I'm finding the contrast a welcome perspective, each to the other.
I realized the other day that I need to be the kind of parent I would want God to be for me. More accurately, the kind of parent He IS (because of course, the parent I want Him to be could not improve upon the perfection that He already is!). Does God to spank me every time I do something wrong? Does He remind me over and over about my failures? Does He get angry and distant? Does He let me go on my own, not caring, so long as I don't annoy or hurt Him, myself, or others? Does He sit me in front of the TV for long spans of time while He gets His other work done? OK, so some of these require more intimate knowledge of who God is to answer. Others aren't totally applicable to my parenting because I'm not God (and am not, for instance, omnipresent). But I should be working toward godliness in my parenting as well, practicing disciplines that enable God to change me, with a heart devoted to Him and my eyes focused on Him. This task of mine (motherhood) is such a short era! I forget that God appointed it to me for a specific reason, and that all of His purposes for me during this time can and should be done within the framework of my current roles - not DESPITE them.
Father God, I get so overwhelmed sometimes thinking about personal discipline, being a good parent, growing in godliness... It's so much easier to be a "I'm not perfect, just forgiven" kind of Christian, so preoccupied with unmerited grace that I don't give a thought to what that grace should actually be DOING INSIDE ME: how it should be changing my life, how I should be cooperating with its work. The urgency of balance is so intimidating. My failures and inadequacies so glaring and humiliating. Why is it that I "need" so much space from my kids? Is it something lacking in me, or my personality? The thought of toting them with me everywhere I go is distasteful. Yet You don't need any space at all, it seems. When do You go alone by Yourself? When do You cut ties with us for even a moment so that You can just get away from us all? Don't You feel sometimes like You have leeches all over You?!? Then why do I feel that way?
I know that Jesus went away a lot. And he was a parent-figure to his disciples. Did he feel the way I do sometimes? Or did he just live a life that made time for such disciplines that he never needed to get to the point of frustration that he HAD to go away for his own sanity? Perhaps I need more purposeful times away more regularly so that it's not such a pressing feeling so often...
Lord, I'm tired and I'm ready to be done with this entry, but I'm feeling heavier than before I came to type this morning, so I know that I haven't actually been spending this time with YOU. I'm so sorry, Lord. I'm sorry for not submitting last night, for being angry, for waking later than You woke me, for talking to myself instead of You, for being frustrated with my son, for not praying very often this weekend, for whatever loose words I said in the company of other Christians and non-Christians, for being lazy and slow to apply what You've been teaching me. But I praise You because You are worthy. When I look at myself, I'm so depressed. But when I look at You, how can I be? You're everything Good that exists: Love, Compassion, Mercy, Kindness, Justice, Trust, Grace, Wisdom, Truth, Harmony, Perfection, Holiness, Creativity... You never fail. You have always been and will always be You. You're so smart, Lord! The more I learn and the more You teach me discernment, the more I realize how much there is to learn and discern! You could give me millions of convictions, yet You love me enough to show me only what's best for me to know at any given time. May that wise love dwell in me and work in my relationships with my kids. You have been making Michael into such a wonderful image of You. I can't imagine how much easier it will be for them to have the right impression of You from early on, and how much easier it will be for them to love and obey You after loving and obeying one so much like You! What a gracious God You are to bless me with this one, and his little onelets :). Being a mom has been one of Your major ways to reveal my own immaturity to me. What a gift! I am so willing to do the hard stuff to get to the greater reward - being used by You for Your glory - more and more.
Thank You. I'm grateful for Your gratis grace :). Thank You for the revelation that I've been viewing my personhood, my womanhood, my wifehood, and my motherhood as obstacles rather than necessary paths upon which Your work will be done. What a liberating concept, and a great relief! Help me find the disciplines that fit within those bounds so that not only I, but my entire family will benefit from Your "workout" plan! I thank You in advance for what You're about to do, because I know beyond a doubt that it is precisely what You desired to do all along! I praise Your Wonderful, Mighty Name!
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