The Journey 171: Positive Disciplining
Read: Amos 2:6-16
The famous television evangelist Creflo Dollar was in the news last week. The founder pastor of the World Changers Church International was arrested and later released on a personal bail of $5000, on charges of abusing his daughter. The issue it seems arose when the daughter wanted to go for a party, for which Dollar did not allow. This followed into an argument and according to his daughter, Dollar choked her, threw her to the ground, punched her and hit her with the shoes. That is when the daughter called the police and according to Creflo Dollar he only tried to restrain his daughter when she became disrespectful after he told her that she could not go to the party. Dollar admitted of spanking his daughter and wrestling with her, but that happened because she began hitting him. This event has brought about a huge discussion in the country whether this country is destroying its moral fabric by not having any sorts of rules and discipline. Questions have also been raised as to what is the role and the type disciplining that needs to be enforced both in the society and family? And finally when does disciplining becomes abuse? I am not a supporter of Creflo Dollar and I don't subscribe to many of his teaching especially on the issue of faith and financial prosperity. But we need to clearly understand that if a family, society and a country has to be made strong, then there has to be some element of rules, structure and discipline that needs to be enforced. But how can we protect our children from being abused in the name of discipline, is something that needs to be taken care of. The dividing line between discipline and abuse is very thin and hence there needs to be a proper differentiation between what constitutes a discipline and what is abuse, my help us to enforce some element of rights both for the parent and for the child.
This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in the Community” based on the book of Amos. The portion that we shall meditate is from Amos 2: 6-16. This is a portion that where the prophet brings to the notice of the people of Israel their moral deterioration. The nation had piled one sin upon another. Israel has forgotten its status of a called nation. Amos begins his condemnation of the Israelites for their sins of economic oppression: “They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6b). According to Amos the wealthy has corrupted every element of the society and as result of that the innocent are judged guilty and sold into slavery debt. He graphically depicts the defenselessness of the poor before the greedy money lovers: According to the upper class and the wealthy, the poor were worth no more than just “a pair of sandals.” Thus with poetic style, Amos deals not only with social injustice , but he also confronts sexual misconduct in the nation of Israel. Amos roars that God is going to bring judgment on the nation of Israel. What Amos reminds the people of Israel is to order ones life according to the commandments of the Lord. I think this is what is needed today also. Every individual needs his life to be ordered by the laws and the principles of our Lord. If life has to be in order, this should not be done in a spirit of fear but out of love. It is my love for the Lord that helps me to order my life rather than ordering my life out of fear. In any home or society I feel it is to that atmosphere should we work out to. Discipline and rules that is enforced and obeyed not out of fear but out of genuine love. I feel when the love of the Lord is the foundation of our life, then both parents, and children can understand the true nature of discipline. It is then the family, society and nation becomes strong.
The famous television evangelist Creflo Dollar was in the news last week. The founder pastor of the World Changers Church International was arrested and later released on a personal bail of $5000, on charges of abusing his daughter. The issue it seems arose when the daughter wanted to go for a party, for which Dollar did not allow. This followed into an argument and according to his daughter, Dollar choked her, threw her to the ground, punched her and hit her with the shoes. That is when the daughter called the police and according to Creflo Dollar he only tried to restrain his daughter when she became disrespectful after he told her that she could not go to the party. Dollar admitted of spanking his daughter and wrestling with her, but that happened because she began hitting him. This event has brought about a huge discussion in the country whether this country is destroying its moral fabric by not having any sorts of rules and discipline. Questions have also been raised as to what is the role and the type disciplining that needs to be enforced both in the society and family? And finally when does disciplining becomes abuse? I am not a supporter of Creflo Dollar and I don't subscribe to many of his teaching especially on the issue of faith and financial prosperity. But we need to clearly understand that if a family, society and a country has to be made strong, then there has to be some element of rules, structure and discipline that needs to be enforced. But how can we protect our children from being abused in the name of discipline, is something that needs to be taken care of. The dividing line between discipline and abuse is very thin and hence there needs to be a proper differentiation between what constitutes a discipline and what is abuse, my help us to enforce some element of rights both for the parent and for the child.
This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in the Community” based on the book of Amos. The portion that we shall meditate is from Amos 2: 6-16. This is a portion that where the prophet brings to the notice of the people of Israel their moral deterioration. The nation had piled one sin upon another. Israel has forgotten its status of a called nation. Amos begins his condemnation of the Israelites for their sins of economic oppression: “They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6b). According to Amos the wealthy has corrupted every element of the society and as result of that the innocent are judged guilty and sold into slavery debt. He graphically depicts the defenselessness of the poor before the greedy money lovers: According to the upper class and the wealthy, the poor were worth no more than just “a pair of sandals.” Thus with poetic style, Amos deals not only with social injustice , but he also confronts sexual misconduct in the nation of Israel. Amos roars that God is going to bring judgment on the nation of Israel. What Amos reminds the people of Israel is to order ones life according to the commandments of the Lord. I think this is what is needed today also. Every individual needs his life to be ordered by the laws and the principles of our Lord. If life has to be in order, this should not be done in a spirit of fear but out of love. It is my love for the Lord that helps me to order my life rather than ordering my life out of fear. In any home or society I feel it is to that atmosphere should we work out to. Discipline and rules that is enforced and obeyed not out of fear but out of genuine love. I feel when the love of the Lord is the foundation of our life, then both parents, and children can understand the true nature of discipline. It is then the family, society and nation becomes strong.