Daily Devotional for March 4, 2019
Discipline Needed
Tristan slammed the front door and threw his backpack on the sofa. His mother looked up from the book she was reading. “Wow, Tristan. That was quite an entrance.”
“Sorry, Mom,” Tristan replied as he dropped into a chair. “I had a terrible day at school. Mrs. Stewart got mad at me and some of the guys I was sitting with at lunch.”
Mom closed her book. “Really? She’s your favorite teacher. What happened?”
“Oh, she got upset just because we left our lunch trays on the table,” Tristan replied. “She made us go back in and help clean up in the cafeteria during most of our noon recess. It’s not fair!”
“But what if everyone left their trays on the tables?” Mom asked. “It would be quite a mess for the cafeteria workers to clean up, wouldn’t it?”
“I know, but other kids leave them too sometimes,” said Tristan. “I never saw them get in trouble.” He sighed and leaned back onto the chair. “I always thought Mrs. Stewart liked me, but I guess not or she wouldn’t get so mad. She looked right at me when she said we all had to go back in and clean up.”
“Oh, I think Mrs. Stewart likes all of you very much, Tristan,” Mom replied. “I think she got upset because she cares about you and the other kids. She knows that leaving out your lunch trays is not a loving or respectful thing to do, and she’s trying to help you all grow into sensitive, caring people.”
Tristan shrugged. “If you say so.”
“I do,” said Mom, “because God does the same thing. When we disobey Him, He sometimes sends people to correct our behavior because He loves us. We’ve been made new by Jesus, and He wants us to live that way by loving others. He disciplines us, but not because He wants to hurt us. He does it out of love.”
After a moment, Tristan nodded. “Tomorrow I’ll apologize to Mrs. Stewart,” he said. “And I’m going to be careful to take care of my lunch tray from now on.” – Katherine Lay
How about you?
Do you feel angry or hurt when you’re punished? Or do you realize that if others let you keep doing something that’s wrong, they aren’t really showing you love? God disciplines His children because He loves them and wants them to grow to be more like Jesus. Listen to what your parents and others in authority tell you and obey them. Above all, listen to what God says and obey Him, knowing He loves you and wants the best for you.
Thank you for reading this Keys for Kids devotional! Did you enjoy the story? Has Keys for Kids been an encouragement to you and your family? If so, would you please consider supporting Keys For Kids Ministries in our effort to continue to provide these daily devotionals to children around the world?