Divine Discipline
“…let me fall into the hand of the Lord…”
I have always strived to emphasize to my children, the great importance of telling the truth…always. I taught them that it is always better to tell the truth, regardless of the consequences.
As you know, most children are attracted by the (false) security of lies, so the work has not been easy. The method I have used so far, is the reward them every time they tell me the truth (or giving them less punishment) and punish to their unconfessed lies severely.
Even with this “great tactic,” it’s rare the occasion when they answer truthfully the first time, and you can forget about open and unprompted confession!
As a father, my duty is to train them first in the art (and virtue) of truth telling. I also need to model it in my own life, so my children can follow my example. Finally, I must be consistent and punish every incident involving lying, but only after they have had the chance to choose their answer (truth or lie) and thus their punishment.
The reason behind this household story is to illustrate that Christians must always tell the truth—no matter what. As children of God, we prefer God’s punishment over any “blessing” from the infernal hosts.
The world and its prince are our adversaries and their goal is to either destroy us or annul our testimony for Christ. God is our Friend and Lord; even his discipline is for our own good. David knew this as he chose to fall in the hands of a merciful Lord. He knew that God would forgive a humble heart. The world never forgives, never!
