Keeping Your Balance

If you've ever tried to walk a tightrope, you know how difficult it is to keep your balance. It's just about equally difficult to keep your balance when disciplining. Human nature tends to want to either go too easy or too harsh.

When the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Christians at Corinth, he rebuked them for failing to discipline one of their members who was living in an intimate relationship with his father's wife. The believers at Corinth took the rebuke to heart and dealt with the issue--but apparently too harshly. Paul then writes again to bring them back to a balanced position.

What Does God Say?

Paul writes: "I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt your entire church more than he hurt me. He was punished enough when most of you were united in your judgment against him. Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover. Now show him that you still love him" (2 Corinthians 2:5-8, NLT).

• What is the purpose of the discipline exercised by the local church?
• How is the church to respond to those who turn from their sin?
• If handled incorrectly, what might happen to the one being disciplined?

My Thoughts
When you discipline in your family, to which extreme are you most prone? What are the dangers associated with your approach to discipline?

My Part
Set down with your spouse this week and determine a balanced discipline response for the most common problems in your home. Also discuss how you can demonstrate forgiveness and comfort when the discipline has done its job.

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