Sometimes we confuse discipline, punishment, and consequence and cause ourselves additional pain on top of the pain that inherently accompanies each one of them. This has been on my mind so much of late that I decided to share another special preview from “Walking In It: 5 Biblical Truths to Guide from Our Heads to Our Hearts”. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this devotional experience. Please feel to comment as well as share this link with others.

“When Bad Things Happen…discerning between discipline, punishment, and consequence”

Sometimes we confuse discipline, punishment, and consequence.

From an educational background, discipline focuses on giving instruction to make good choices in the future; it is a proactive method with reminders and reteaching provided when needed. 

However, punishment focuses on causing suffering for choices made in the past; it is a reactive method operating on the idea that better choices will be made to avoid suffering in the future. 

Consequence is simply the result of an action or a situation.

While the three are different, they can each result in pain and that’s why we sometimes confuse them. 

Consider this example:

Imagine you’re playing second base in baseball and the batter pops a ball up and it comes back down and hits you on the head. The ball did not hit your head because the batter was seeking to punish you. It hit your head as a consequence, a result of gravity and your inability to catch the ball. Now, imagine that to discipline you, to teach you not to get hit in the head in the future, the coach has you catch pop ups through repeated practice. After a while, your hand will probably start to hurt through the glove. Your coach does not intend to cause you suffering, but the pain is part of toughening up your hand and a sign that you are getting better at catching. The pain is a result of growth, not a punishment inflicted by the coach.

Similarly, many times the discipline of changing our thoughts or our hearts causes some pain as we grow stronger or outgrow worldly attitudes or actions. Many times the consequence (result) of our sin or someone else’s sin causes us to experience suffering. We must be careful not to misidentify the pain of growth or the consequences of sin as divine punishment. 

With God, we see evidence of discipline and consequence throughout the Bible and punishment too (largely in the Old Testament). As we consider these Biblical examples, we have to remember that God is all-seeing and all-knowing. He is our Creator and He knows us better than we know ourselves. He has a divine purpose and good plan for each of us. We must understand that God sees our hearts and He knows when we are open to discipline and when we are not. He knows when only a hard knock on the head is going to teach us to catch the ball next time. He also knows when we need protection from the consequences of sin and the imperfections of this fallen world and when we need to experience them to grow. He is the perfect Father and perfect Teacher. All His ways are good, even when they don’t feel good to us at the time (Hebrews 12:10-11).

When I look back on my own walk with the Lord, the darkest seasons have been those times when I did not understand God’s love or His discipline very well and allowed my fear of punishment to cause me to run from our Heavenly Father instead of to Him. 

To help us better understand God and His desire for a deep and loving relationship with us, let’s dig into four principles found throughout His Word. I encourage you to look up the scripture verse(s) provided for each principle. Take time with them. Pray through them. Journal about them. Abide in His Word.

Principle 1: God knows the good, bad, and ugly in each of us and desires a close relationship with us anyway.

Psalm 139:1-4 Romans 5:8 Luke 6:35

Jeremiah 1:5 John 10:14-15 John 10:27

Principle 2: God uses questions to draw us closer to Him.

Genesis 3:6-13 Genesis 16:7-15 John 21:15-19

Acts 9:1-9 Luke 6:46 Genesis 32:24-29

Principle 3: God desires honesty and trust in our relationship with Him.

Numbers 23:19 Isaiah 26:3 Proverbs 24:26 Psalm 37:4-6

Jeremiah 17:7-8 John 14:6 John 16:13 1 John 5:20

Principle 4: God focuses more on who we are becoming and where we are going than on who we used to be or where we’ve been.

2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Corinthians 5:21 John 1:12

2 Corinthians 3:18 Acts 3:19 Psalm 51:10-12

Reflection

1. Our understanding of discipline, punishment, and consequence often comes from our earthly upbringing and schooling. In light of the explanations provided, have there been times you misidentified discipline as punishment or consequence as punishment? What new understandings do you have as a result of reviewing the explanations and baseball scenario above? 
2. Sometimes, to avoid punishment, those we are responsible for may lie to us or manipulate the truth. Their dishonesty may fool us as parents or teachers or employers, but God is never fooled because He knows all things. Given that God already knows everything, what role do you think honesty has in developing a deeper connection with Him? In what way do the verses for Principle 3 help you understand God’s reason for emphasizing trust in your relationship with Him?
3. God knows everything about us, including what we do, say, think, and feel (Psalm 139:1-4), but He still asks us questions as part of His teaching style. In the examples above, how does answering God’s question(s) bring the one(s) being asked closer in their relationship with God? Consider reading the full chapter for deeper understanding of God’s discipline.

4. God is Elohim, the Creator, and He will not settle for a shallow relationship with His creation. After reviewing the principles and scripture verses above, what new understandings do you have about discipline, punishment, and/or consequence and your relationship with God? What is always God’s divine purpose for using or allowing discipline, punishment, and/or consequence in our lives?

Prayer

Pray, thanking God for His perfect knowledge of you and of what will best bring you closer to Him.

Praise God for His unconditional and courageous love!

Petition God to help you better see His love in all situations and to love those you are responsible for as completely and unconditionally as He loves you.